Dickhead Yuppie Charged With Killeding Cabbie Turns Self In

By Sam Bakken in News on Feb 7, 2005 8:46PM

Michael L. Jackson, director of communication and policy for the STD/HIV/AIDS division of the Health Department, has been charged with murder for repeatedly driving a cab over Haroon Paryani, the cab's 61-year-old driver, last Thursday night in 500 block of West Briar Place in the Lakeview neighborhood. Jackson turned himself into police on Friday.

Witnesses and police say Jackson and Paryani appeared to be arguing over a fare and Paryani fell down in front of the cab. Police and witnesses also say Jackson then got in the cab, drove over Paryani with the front wheels, backed up and then ran over Paryani again with all four wheels. Jackson then drove off in the cab hitting several parked cars along the way, finally stopped on Broadway and ran away. Paryani was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The Sun-Times has a quote from Michael Oppenheimer who appears to be one of Jackson's attorneys:

"Once the facts come out, we believe, as does Mr. Jackson, that he will be vindicated.''

Uhm..."vindicated" as in "avenged"? As in "to free from allegation or blame" or "to provide justification or defense for"? NO FUCKING WAY! There's no excuse dude. We know, we know, it's lawyer speak, but what a thing to say.

Apparently acquaintances of Jackson say this kind of behavior is very out of the ordinary for him. So far it appears that Jackson's only previous arrest was on a DUI in 1993 in Georgia. Though none of Chicago's media are saying, we think Jackson must have been on methamphetamines. We'll see.

Health Department spokesman Tim Hadac said termination of Jackson's employment is in process.