Teen on Home Confinement Charged with Murder of Retired CPD Officer

Sixteen-year-old Lazarius Watt, who turned himself in over the weekend, has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder for the shooting death of retired Chicago Police Officer Larry Neuman.& During a hearing, a Cook County judge described Watt’s alleged actions as “heinous” and deemed him a danger to the entire neighborhood before remanding him to custody. Prosecutors said Watt was on home confinement at the time of the murder and violated his electronic monitoring conditions more than six times in the past six months. He was also due to be arraigned in juvenile court on a carjacking charge on Tuesday. Investigators say that Watt and another gunman approached Neuman outside his West Garfield Park home on Thursday while Neuman was paying someone for mowing his lawn.& The unidentified gunman yelled “freeze” and grabbed Neuman. As Neuman reached for his own gun, the co-defendant shot him. Neuman managed to fire one shot but was hit twice and later died from his injuries at a hospital. The suspects fled the scene. Detectives noted that Neuman saved the landscaper’s life by pushing him out of the way during the gunfire. Neuman, remembered as a community friend, a part-time pastor, and the longest-serving...