A disappointing verdict

News of the acquittal of Dion Weatherspoon Thursday for the murder of a witness in another murder did not sit well at the police department.

Weatherspoon was accused of the murder of William Burr, who was shot several times and found lying in the doorway of a South Avenue pizza shop in July of 2007.

Burr was a witness to the murder of his brother, Anthony Perez, in December of 2006. He was gunned down while he was fixing a car in the driveway of a South Side home.

One thing that drives police crazy is getting witnesses to cooperate in murder cases, because they are often afraid of retalitation. The fact that Weatherspoon was accused of the murder of a witness and now walks away does not sit well in the big, black concrete slab on Boardman Street that is police headquarters.

Chief of Detectives Capt. Kenneth Centorame told me today the entire detective bureau was upset, and are now worried about how the case against Perez will proceed. There are two suspects in custody for thatc case but it has not yet gone to trial.

One of the things I remember about the Burr shooting is the large dog I encountered at his home when I tried to get a comment from family members a day or two after the killing. His home at the time was just over the Struthers line and a large pit bull that looked almost inhuman was lurking inside a large, chain link fence that was around what looked like a garage that was used to repair cars.

I don't remember if I knocked or rang the bell, but no one answered. One thing I do remember, however, is the dog.