Man convicted in 2019 murder of Chicago police Officer John Rivera receives 90-year sentence​on April 23, 2025 at 5:09 am

CHICAGO (WLS) — A convicted cop killer was sentenced Tuesday.

Menelik Jackson was found guilty in a trial as the gunman in October for the murder of off-duty 23-year-old Chicago police Officer John Rivera.

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Jackson was sentenced to 90 years in prison.

Officer Rivera was shot and killed in his car in 2019 at the former Rock-n-Roll McDonald’s in River North.

Police say he may have been mistaken for someone else. The attack on him and his friends was unprovoked.

READ MORE | Former supervisor remembers Chicago police officer John Rivera killed in River North in emotional Facebook post

Two other men are also convicted in his death.

Both are serving time in prison.

Jackson was the last to be sentenced.

Dozens of Chicago police officers accompanied Rivera’s family to the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.

Rivera had been with CPD just shy of two years before his death.

Police said Rivera died in a final act of bravery: shielding his girlfriend and other passengers from the gunfire.

Jaquan Washington received a 13-year sentence, and Jovan Battle received a 65-year prison sentence.

Washington pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and Battle was found guilty of first-degree murder.

Battle mistakenly pointed out Rivera and his friends as rivals from another incident.

In court Tuesday, Rivera’s friend who survived several bullet wounds, Ruben Sierra, wrote in the victim impact statement about Jackson, “Your thirst for vengeance injured innocent people.”

Rivera’s mother read her statement in court, saying in part, “Our family has been left with immense sadness that will never go away.”

Jackson spoke on his own behalf, apologizing to the victims, their families and the dozens of officers present in court, saying, “I am eternally sorry for my actions.”

The judge said he considered all the evidence and information, including Jackson’s challenging life that began in utero before issuing the 90-year sentence.

Rivera’s mother, other family and friends declined to comment.

Attorneys for Jackson said in court an appeal was likely.

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