Gunman commandeers CTA bus with passengers through Southwest Side, prosecutors say

A man who hijacked a CTA bus with passengers while waving a gun around and demanding its driver to run four red lights through several neighborhoods on the Southwest Side earlier this week remains behind bars Friday.

Quentin Lewis, 36, was charged with kidnapping, possessing a weapon as a felon, unlawful restraint and possession of a stolen vehicle, Chicago police said. Lewis, who remains in custody at the Cook County Jail, was in court for an initial hearing Thursday, where a judge ordered him detained.

The chaotic scene began to unfold shortly after Lewis boarded bus #8611 without paying around 8 p.m. Tuesday at Jackson Boulevard and Pulaski Road in the Garfield Park neighborhood.

Lewis rode along in the southbound bus, without incident for about two miles until suddenly at Pulaski Road and 26th Street in Little Village, he spotted someone outside, prosecutors said.

When that person signaled for the driver to pull over "as if to suggest for someone to get off the bus," Lewis pointed a gun with an extended magazine at the person, who ran for cover, prosecutors said.

Lewis then demanded the bus driver "go,go,go" south on Pulaski Road as he went back to his seat directly behind the driver, prosecutors said.

Over the next several minutes and more three miles, Lewis allegedly stood up and waved his gun around while instructing the driver to run red lights, officials said.

As the bus approached 55th Street and Pulaski Road in the West Elsdon neighborhood, a passenger yanked the emergency lever, which stopped the bus and prevented the driver from moving the bus. The two passengers then ran off of the bus, leaving the driver and Lewis alone, officials said.

The driver escaped through the driver's side window and ran toward another CTA bus for help, prosecutors said.

After "aimlessly" yelling and waving the gun, Lewis also jumped off the bus and ran away, making it to a nearby strip mall where he got into the driver's seat of a Dodge Ram pickup truck that was still running, while its driver was inside a bakery,officials said.

Police caught up with him there and ordered him to drop the gun and get out of the pickup. He did but not before he placed the truck in reverse, causing it to slam into a police car. He was placed under arrest about 8:25 p.m.

A Glock firearm, which was loaded with one round in the chamber and an unknown amount of live rounds in an extended magazine, was recovered from the Dodge, officials said.

Lewis was identified in a photo array by the bus driver and one of the witnesses, prosecutors said. He is due back in court on Nov. 10, records show.