Man Pleads Not Guilty to Attempted Murder of Illinois Officer

A man accused of attempted murder of a North Chicago, IL, police officer pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder of a police officer during a court proceeding on Wednesday.

According to the Daily Herald , 28-year-old Willie Bell was with two other men—26-year-old Raymond Steward and 27-year-old James Towns—when police responded to a reported series of shootings in a North Chicago neighborhood in April.

Witnesses said the shots had been fired from a vehicle. Officers began to search for suspects in the shootings and encountered the suspect vehicle.

Officers attempted to effect a traffic stop, but the suspect vehicle fled. Following the pursuit Bell reportedly discharged a weapon at police.

Bell, Steward, and Towns were arrested when the pursuit ended.

Steward and Towns both have pleaded not guilty to charges similar to Bell's.