Crime & Law
Chicago Man Facing Arson, Murder Charges After CFD Fire Captain Killed in Blaze
Captain David Meyer, 54, died from injuries after a garage collapsed from a fire in the Austin neighborhood on April 23, 2025. He joined the Chicago Fire Department in 1996. (Courtesy of Chicago Fire Department)
Chicago police announced a man has been charged with murder and arson days after the blaze claimed the life of Fire Captain David Meyer.
Charles Green, 44, was charged Friday with two counts of murder and one count of aggravated arson after he allegedly started the fire that led to Meyer’s death.
That fire began around 4 a.m. Wednesday after Green allegedly set fire to a garbage bin in the 1200 block of North Pine Avenue, which eventually spread to a nearby garage, officials said.
Chicago Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said the fire was extinguished, but as crews worked in the area, the garage collapsed and injured Meyer.
He was then taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died of his injuries.
“He was a great guy … he was the rock of his family,” Nance-Holt said earlier this week.
Meyer was assigned to Truck 29 and spent most of his career on the West Side, according to Nance-Holt, who worked with Meyer when she was a deputy on the West Side.
“We go to work every day and we never know if we’re gonna come home, but this is what he loved to do and he was really good at it,” Nance-Holt said.
Green was arrested at around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 5400 block of West Potomac Avenue. The CFD said its Office of Fire Investigation was assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and determined the fire was caused by “ignition of contents of a trash bin by human action.”
That evidence was then turned over to police as part of a criminal investigation.
Meyer, 54, joined the CFD in 1996. He is survived by his wife, daughters and a son. A wake will be held next Monday, followed by his funeral Tuesday.
“Captain Meyer was a hero who served the people of our city with courage and honor for more than 28 years,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “This is a devastating loss for our city.”
Green is due in court for a detention hearing Saturday.
Eunice Alpasan contributed to this report.
