Charles Green appears in court, charged with murder, arson after Chicago Fire Department Captain David Meyer dies in Austin fire
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — The man accused of setting the West Side fire that killed Chicago Fire Department Captain David Meyer appeared before a judge Saturday.

Investigators said Charles Green started a trash bin fire that ignited a garage Wednesday in the Austin neighborhood. That garage collapsed, killing Captain Meyer.

A Cook County judge ordered that Green remain in custody. In court, prosecutors said he was a convicted felon who was a danger to the community.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Chicago firefighters packed the courtroom Saturday afternoon.

Green has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of aggravated arson for allegedly lighting a fire in a trash bin that investigators said was the cause of the garage fire.

The firefighter’s widow, who attended the hearing, left court without comment.

“They’re broken up,” Chicago firefighters union president Patrick Cleary said. “I mean, they lost a father and a husband. It’s understandable. It’s horrendous.”

On Friday, Chicago police confirmed that Green, a 44-year-old resident of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon hours after the fire.

Firefighters were called the fire at about 4:03 a.m. Wednesday in the 1200-block of Pine Avenue. The Office of Fire Investigations said the fire was started by someone intentionally igniting the contents of a trash bin.

During Saturday’s hearing, prosecutors said video footage captured Green walking down an alley that connects his West Potomac Avenue home to where the fire occurred Wednesday around 3:30 a.m. They said a security camera captured Green near the garbage cans next to a garage before smoke and flames appeared only seconds later.

Captain Meyer was among the firefighters who were called to fight the blaze. The veteran firefighter died after the garage roof collapsed on him, reigniting the fire. He was rushed to an area hospital where he later died.

The assistant state’s attorney on the case did not give a motive for the arson, but said in court “setting a fire is inherently dangerous. It spreads quickly… but it can also be deadly as it was in this case.”

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, along with 15th Ward Alderman Ray Lopez, attended the hearing in support of the Meyer family.

They’re broken up… they lost a father and a husband. It’s understandable. It’s horrendous.

Patrick Cleary, Chicago firefighters union president

“The court system is not a system unto itself. It has a very real impact on our communities,” Ald. Lopez said.

When investigators arrested Green later in the day Wednesday, they recovered lighters, lighter fluid, burnt paper and the clothes Green was wearing when he was recorded by several security cameras. Authorities said that clothing preliminarily tested positive for accelerants.

Green has denied any involvement in setting the fire. A witness, along with Green’s girlfriend, identified him in the surveillance video.

Prosecutors said Green is a convicted felon with five prior convictions dating back to the 1990s. According to court records, he already had a warrant for arrest issued for failure to appear in court for a retail theft case.

Green returns to court next week on the same day family and friends, Chicago firefighters and the city will say a tearful goodbye to Captain Meyer.

Public visitation for Captain Meyer will take place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Malec and Sons Funeral Home in Norwood Park on Chicago’s Northwest Side.

The funeral service follows Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Saint John Brebeuf Church in Niles.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Pennsylvania mother arrested after police make horrifying discovery in closet

Shocking Closet Find Leads to Arrest of Pennsylvania Mother

A Pennsylvania woman faces charges after police found the remains of her…
NYC subway rider randomly stabbed by smiling straphanger described as 'quiet' hard worker

NYC Subway Passenger Randomly Attacked by Smiling Fellow Rider Known as ‘Quiet’ and Diligent Worker

The victim of a seemingly random subway stabbing, described by a friend…
DHS rejects NBC report claiming ICE used 5-year-old autistic girl as bait to arrest father

Homeland Security Denies NBC Claims of Using Autistic 5-Year-Old as Trap to Arrest Dad

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin on Tuesday firmly refuted…
Vystar Ballpark to host first playoff game in decades

Vystar Ballpark Set to Host Its First Playoff Game in Many Years

For the first time in over a decade, Vystar Ballpark will play…
Trump administration wants to hand out $2.4 billion it took from California's high-speed railroad

The Trump administration seeks to distribute $2.4 billion originally allocated to California’s high-speed rail project.

The Trump administration aims to reallocate $2.4 billion from California’s high-speed rail…
US Justice Department official questions retired FBI agent's role in $1.4B Sandy Hook lawsuit

US DOJ Examines Retired FBI Agent’s Involvement in $1.4B Sandy Hook Lawsuit

A senior official of the U.S. Justice Department dispatched a letter to…
Kamala Returns to 'The View' and Manages to Badly Embarrass Herself Yet Again

Kamala Harris Makes a Comeback on ‘The View’ and Ends Up Embarrassing Herself Once More

I must admit I find the Kamala Harris book tour amusing.  The…
Possible school shooting attack stopped at Northern California high school via Sandy Hook Promise tip line

Sandy Hook Promise Tip Line Prevents Potential Shooting at NorCal High School

A single voice made a difference in preventing a possible school attack,…
Mystery of babies abandoned at park in 1989 solved after mother ID'd as woman found murdered in desert

The Mystery of Infants Left in Park in 1989 Unraveled: Mother Identified as Murder Victim in Desert

Following over thirty years, authorities managed to identify a woman discovered stabbed…
Turning Point USA draws 2,000 at first tour event since Kirk's assassination

Turning Point USA Attracts 2,000 Attendees at First Tour Event Following Kirk’s Assassination

More than 2,000 individuals gathered in an auditorium at the University of…
North Carolina detention officer fired after allegedly posting 'I am Antifa' on social media

North Carolina Detention Officer Dismissed Over Alleged ‘I Am Antifa’ Social Media Post

A sheriff’s office in North Carolina terminated one of its detention officers…
Blue city murder victim’s brother rips ex-mayor calling crime crisis ‘manufactured’ as families beg for help

Brother of Murder Victim in Blue City Criticizes Former Mayor for Downplaying Crime Crisis as ‘Fabricated,’ While Families Plead for Assistance

The brother of a murder victim is harshly criticizing former Chicago Mayor…