Opening Statements Begin in Vásquez Lasso Murder Trial

Opening statements have begun in the trial of Steven Montano, accused of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Andrés Vásquez Lasso, a five-year veteran and Colombian immigrant, during a domestic disturbance response in Gage Park in March 2023. The incident was triggered by a 911 call reporting Montano threatening a woman with a gun, though the woman later denied making the call. During a pursuit near a schoolyard, both Montano, then 18 and now 21, and Vásquez Lasso exchanged gunfire, resulting in injuries to both and the officer’s death. Montano faces additional charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and firing near a school building. The trial, expected to last about a week, has drawn significant attention from the police community. This is the first jury trial for a slain Chicago police officer since the conviction in Officer Ella French’s case last year.