A Chicago ride-share driver who just happened to be a concealed carry holder turned the tables on a couple attempting a carjacking earlier this month.
The unidentified driver picked up Darick Benson, 20, and a juvenile female after midnight on August 12 and Benson allegedly pulled a gun and pointed it at the man’s head from the back seat, according to CWB Chicago. Assistant State’s Attorney John Kyle said the female patted down the driver’s right pocket from the back seat as well.
Fortunately for the unidentified driver, his handgun was in his left pocket.
The quick-thinking driver slowed his SUV down enough to jump out while it was still moving, and after running a short distance he pulled his gun and fired three shots into his car. Benson returned fire and tried to drive the SUV but the vehicle wouldn’t operate because the driver was smart enough to have the key fob in his pocket, the prosecutor explained.
Turns out, Benson was arrested last year for carjacking, which is a common crime in Chicago. It comes as no surprise to those paying attention, but prosecutors let Benson plead guilty to a lesser charge of possessing a stolen motor vehicle in December, resulting in probation rather than jail time.
That was a decision that led to the events that took place this month, which resulted in Benson being shot — one of the three shots fired at the car struck him in the leg.
Chicago police were alerted to the gunfire by a nearby ShotSpotter, CWB Chicago noted and were already on their way to the scene. They reportedly found the girl about a block away and found Benson, who was wounded in the leg, near the entrance to a garden apartment. A firearm was about three feet away, according to police.
The assistant public defender who represented Benson, who was also adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile for robbery in 2020, requested that he be released without bail.
“We have nothing but a complaining witness’ statement here,” assistant public defender Emily Motin said. “While I acknowledge that this is a serious allegation and these are serious charges, we simply don’t know — we can’t rely on the complaining witness alone to hold Mr. Benson [without bail] here.”
Judge Charles Beach felt otherwise.
“The fact that you could not comply with the terms of your probation tells me that you probably cannot comply with the terms of bail,” Beach said. “Accordingly, you will be held without bail.”
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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