Man sentenced to life in prison for murder of Bradley police sergeant Marlene Rittmanic
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for the 2021 murder of a police sergeant in Bradley, Illinois.
Darius Sullivan was convicted of all charges last September for shooting and killing Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic, 44, and leaving her partner critically injured while the officers confronted Sullivan about barking dogs outside his hotel room in Kankakee County.
During his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, officers packed a Kankakee County courtroom as members of RIttmanic's family talked about their loss.
Judge Kathy Elliott sentenced Sullivan to life in prison.
Sullivan's girlfriend, Xandria Harris, also has been charged with murder in Rittmanic's death. She has yet to face trial.
Police and prosecutors have said Rittmanic and her partner, Tyler Bailey, were responding to a call about barking dogs in a parked car outside the Comfort Inn hotel in Bradley in December 2021.
After determining the car belonged to Harris, Rittmanic and Bailey went to the hotel where Harris was staying with Sullivan, and told them they would be giving Harris a ticket for a noise ordinance violation, and arresting Sullivan on an outstanding warrant.
When Harris tried to close the door on the officers, Sullivan came from around the room with a gun in hand, and shot Bailey in the head, then chased Rittmanic down the hallway and disarmed her when his own gun jammed.
Sullivan then shot Rittmanic and left her for dead.
Rittmanic died later that night. Bailey survived, but was critically wounded.
Sullivan later was arrested in northeast Indiana, while Harris eventually turned herself in.
No trial date has yet been set for Harris.
