Kidnapped taxi driver calls 911 from trunk of cab
A
Calumet City man was charged this morning with kidnapping a taxi driver at gunpoint and driving around with him in the taxi's trunk before crashing on the
South Side.
Roderick Swoopes, 27, of the 300 block of South Luella Avenue, was charged with armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated vehicular hijacking, police said.
The taxi driver's ordeal started early Monday morning after Swoopes flagged down the cab near Racine and Clybourn avenues, asking to be dropped off near 64th Street and King Drive, police said.
When the taxi got close to that location, Swoopes asked how much he owed and then pulled out a gun and ordered the driver to get out of the taxi, police said.
Swoopes then demanded the driver's wallet and cell phone and told him to get in the trunk, police said.
Swoopes then took off in the taxi, unaware the driver had a second cell phone in his possession. The taxi driver called 911 from inside of the trunk as Swoopes drove around the
South Side.
Officers working the "Operation Safe City" initiative were on patrol when they heard a kidnapping had just occurred over the police radio. They went after the cab, aided by a cab company dispatcher who had access to data from the cab's GPS tracking device.
Eventually, the officers spotted the stolen taxi northbound on South Western Avenue near 62nd Street, police said.
Swoopes crashed the taxi nearby and fled on foot. The officers chased him and took him into custody, police said.
Paramedics were called to the scene to treat the taxi driver who had minor injuries. Swoopes is scheduled to appear in bond court Wednesday.
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Just WHEN, I ask, when will black men in Chicago STOP...stop committing crime?
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