Man charged in railroad security guard murder in Harvey

HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) -- A man has been charged in the fatal shooting of a Canadian National Railroad security guard in south suburban Harvey, police said Tuesday.

Rashad Williams, 24, of East Hazel Crest, was wanted in the shooting of 38-year-old Tyrone Hardin. Harvey police arrested Williams in Chicago Heights at about 9 p.m. Sunday. An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday night.

Williams has been charged with first degree murder and also the attempted murder of another CN Railroad employee. He is a convicted felon with a previous weapons charge.

Harvey Police Deputy Chief Gregory Thomas credited the public with Williams' arrest.

"The tips never stopped coming in," Thomas said. "So we knew a general location from tips of where (he) would be."

He said Chicago Heights police helped with surveillance of the area, where Williams was seen with grocery bags.

Hardin, a married father of a 5-year-old son who worked two jobs, was shot a week ago when he encountered a man allegedly fleeing police in a stolen vehicle at about 7 p.m. The driver crashed the vehicle near 159th Street and Park and ran from the vehicle onto the railroad tracks.

The suspect fired more than a dozen shots, hitting Hardin in the stomach. He was taken to South Suburban Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The shooter stole the guard's vehicle but then abandoned it in the 100-block of 171st Street of Hazel Crest, police said.