Suburban Cop Pleading Not Guilty to Fatal DUI Crash

A suburban cop accused in a fatal, drunken crash on Lake Shore Drive appeared in court last week, and his attorney says he will plead not guilty, according to reports.

Terrell Garrett, 35, faces two counts of aggravated driving under the influence and two counts of reckless homicide, Chicago Police News Affairs officers told Patch after the March 15 crash. Two died in the accident, which was on Garrett's birthday, according to court records.

DNAInfo Chicago reports that Garrett appeared in court this past Friday in a wheelchair due to a fractured hip injury he sustained in the wreck. At that appearance, his attorney said he planned to plead not guilty to all charges.

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Garrett became a North Chicago cop in 2008 but was placed on administrative leave after his recent arrest.

Chicago Police have said he had a blood-alcohol content of .184 when he drove the wrong day down Lake Shore Drive around 4 a.m. on Friday, March 15, crashing between Belmont Avenue and Diversey Parkway.

He collided with a Jeep, killing 25-year-old Joaquin Garcia and his friend, Fabian Torres, 27.

Torres was a first-year DePaul University student. Garcia was set to graduate this year from Malcolm X College, according to reports.

Garrett remained in custody Tuesday at the Cook County Jail where he was being held on $500,000 bail. He would need to post 10 percent of that value, or $50,000 in order to be released.

His next scheduled court date is May 3.