A former Chicago police officer was convicted Wednesday of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated DUI in a car crash while he was off duty that killed a 20-year-old man.
John Krass, 28, was driving a pickup truck that also smashed into a CTA bus before hitting the car of Juan Gonzalez, 20, at Clark Street and Archer Avenue in August 2003.
Judge James Egan allowed Krass to remain free on $125,000 bail until his sentencing hearing May 24.
He faces between 3 and 14 years in prison.
Krass testified Wednesday that Gonzalez ran a red light, forcing him to swerve to try to avoid a crash.
Krass also testified that he went drinking after he got off the night shift on Aug. 24, 2003, and had at least six beers. Krass, who joined the Chicago Police Department in 1999, is no longer with the force, officials said.
Cook County Assistant State's Atty. Jim Knibbs grilled Krass about his truck's crash with a CTA bus.
"Are you telling this court that you did not know you hit a CTA bus?" Knibbs said.
Krass responded, "No."
Later, Knibbs emphasized that Krass acted recklessly when he drove with a blood-alcohol level of more than two times the legal limit of 0.08.
"Judge, that's the epitome of recklessness," Knibbs said.
Much of defense attorney Pat O'Brien's questioning Wednesday was about the testimony of one of the prosecution's key witnesses, Pamela Bailey.
Bailey had testified Monday that she saw Krass stumble to his truck the morning of the crash and drive erratically, running several red lights. She also said the off-duty officer was speeding, which Krass corroborated in his testimony Wednesday.
But O'Brien, in his closing arguments, pointed out that another state witness, Tinley Park Police Officer Michael O'Hern, had testified Tuesday that Gonzalez's car was moving, which contradicted Bailey's testimony. Bailey had said Gonzalez's car was stopped.
O'Hern is also a traffic accident consultant.
"It is impossible to believe that she saw the actual accident," O'Brien said. "Good citizens don't lie, and they don't come to court and lie."
Egan said during his ruling that he did not believe Bailey saw the "physical accident." But he said he found it hard to believe that Krass did not realize his truck had hit a CTA bus.
Egan said he believed the former officer was intoxicated when the crash occurred.
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