The man who allegedly said he was a Chicago police officer before shooting a suspected shoplifter at a Northwest Side Walgreens last week had led an employee there to believe he worked in law enforcement and inserted himself in security matters at the store many times before, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.
Louis Hicks Jr., 33, has never worked as a police officer, in Chicago or anywhere else.
But the convicted felon, who was recently suspended from his position as a security guard, told a shift leader to call him when there were problems and often tried to resolve security situations at the Walgreens, at 4817 W. Fullerton Ave., prosecutors said.
The latest interaction Hicks’ allegedly had with a customer— on June 12 — turned deadly.
About 11:30 a.m. that morning, after detaining Sircie Varnado, Hicks kneeled over her with a gun drawn and allegedly said, “You’re a b****.” He then allegedly fired a single shot into Varnado’s face, prosecutors said.
Hicks then picked up the empty bullet casing and left the store, prosecutors said. Varnado, 46, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
It wasn’t the first time Hicks inserted himself into a security situations, prosecutors said.
A shift leader at the store first met Hicks about a year ago when Hicks handcuffed “a habitual shoplifter” and held the person until police arrived, prosecutors said. A few days after, Hicks allegedly came to the store and told the shift leader that he lived next door and said that the shift leader should call him to help out with any security or shoplifting problems.
Over the course of the year, the shift leader would call Hicks when “suspicious people” came into the store, prosecutors said. The shift leader saw Hicks in the store on multiple occasions with a gun and badge.
Hicks had been employed as a security guard for SEB Security, but had not been assigned to work at the Walgreens, according to prosecutors.
Hicks was suspended from his security position after he chased a suspected shoplifter into a parking lot on Jan. 6, tackled and handcuffed the person in violation of company policy, prosecutors said.
In May, Hicks allegedly showed a gun and badge to a woman waiting in a car that was illegally parked in the front of the same Walgreens while her husband was inside. Hicks demanded that the woman move the car, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Hicks was summoned to the store on the day of Varnado’s killing by the shift leader when a “suspicious man” was spotted in the store.
When Varnado entered the store, the shift leader told Hicks that he suspected she might be working with the earlier suspicious shopper, who had since left the store, prosecutors said. The shift leader approached Varnado while she was looking at a dress to ask if she needed help.
The shift leader believed she was acting defensively, and when she walked to the front door, the shift leader gestured for Hicks to stop her, prosecutors said. Hicks grabbed her bag and held her body, causing the bag to rip. Pantyhose that was sold at the Walgreens also fell to the floor.
Hicks continued to hold Varnado and wouldn’t let her to leave, prosecutors said. He then allegedly put her in a choke hold as other shoppers moved closer. Hicks continued, allegedly announcing he was a police officer before trying to handcuff Varnado and slamming her to the floor before shooting her.
Prosecutors said Hicks never should have had the weapon since he was convicted of felony burglary in 2003.
Video surveillance at the store did not capture the shooting because a camera was blocked by a store display. But multiple witnesses identified Hicks as the shooter and investigators have recovered text message between the shift leader and Hicks, as well as surveillance from prior incidents at the store, prosecutors said.
An assistant public defender said Hicks worked security for three years, volunteers at his church and cares for older parents who suffer various illnesses. Hicks’ attorney also pointed out that Walgreens staff had called Hicks to the store for help.
Hicks was ordered held without bond for first-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and impersonating a police officer charges.
Varnado’s friends and relatives who attended the hearing declined to comment, but a spokeswoman for the group said the family was expected to issue a statement at a later time.
Hicks is expected to appear in court again on July 9.
