Murder charges approved after fatal shooting of CPD Officer Luis Huesca

The heads of the Chicago Police Department and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office were joined by Mayor Brandon Johnson in announcing murder charges against the man who allegedly shot and killed off-duty CPD Officer Luis Huesca in Gage Park last month.

“Today we honor (Huesca) as we hold accountable the perpetrator responsible for his murder,” CPD Chief Larry Snelling said during a news conference Friday morning at police headquarters.

Xavier Tate, 22, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen firearm in connection with the April 21 fatal shooting of Huesca, 30, near 56th Street and Kedzie Avenue. Tate was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Friday.

Tate was taken into custody Wednesday in the western suburb of Glendale Heights, police said. A Chicago Police source said the arresting officers used Huesca’s handcuffs to arrest Tate. Authorities previously announced a $100,000 reward for public information leading to Tate’s arrest and conviction.

Cook County court records show Tate was arrested last March in south suburban Olympia Fields and charged with trespassing. That case remains pending.

Court records from Kane County show Tate was arrested in February and charged with obstructing a police officer. He was also arrested and charged with obstruction in 2023, and both cases remain active, records show. In the past five years, Tate has been charged 10 times for alleged traffic violations in Kane County.

Huesca, a six-year veteran of the CPD, was shot multiple times in the 3100 block of West 56th Street on April 21 while off duty but in uniform. His gun and vehicle were also taken from the scene of the shooting, but were later recovered. restored.

Officers last week arrested a relative of Tate who allegedly obtained Huesca’s gun. That man, arrested in Morgan Park, now faces a charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, court records show.

On what would have been Huesca’s 31st birthday last week, police announced that the officer was killed in the line of duty, leaving his family entitled to a survivor’s death benefit. At his funeral Monday, Huesca was remembered as “an exceptional person with courage, courage, humility and pride in your work.”