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October 08, 2009 News & Politics | Feature

        
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Police Torture in Chicago

An archive of articles by John Conroy on police torture, Jon Burge, and related issues

By John Conroy

The Persistence of Andrew Wilson
A cop killer who fought to expose torture in the Chicago Police Department has died, but his testimony from beyond the grave could still help bring down its perpetrators.
November 29, 2007

Is This a Gag?
The city’s lawyers claim a gag order prevents them from discussing the strange deal they made to settle police torture lawsuits. There’s no order.
September 28, 2007

The Meter's Still Running and the Mayor's Still Mum
Since 2003 the city has paid some $7 million in legal fees to fight five police torture lawsuits it probably can't win. The latest turn in this saga involves a secret settlement agreement designed to protect Daley.
July 6, 2007

Twenty Questions
Lawyers for police torture victims are trying to get Mayor Daley on the stand. We've got a few things to ask him too.
May 11, 2007

Confessions of a Torturer
An Army Interrogator's Story
March 1, 2009

The Good Cop
Detective Frank Laverty did the right thing - and paid for it for years.
January 5, 2007

Blind Justices?
The prosecutors who sent police torture victims to prison are now the judges who keep them there.
December 1, 2006

Doe in the Headlights
By trying so hard to keep his name out of the police torture report, Lawrence Hyman has made sure it’s a name we'll always associate with police torture.
July 19, 2006

The Police Torture Scandal: A Who's Who
With the results of a four-year, multimillion dollar investigation due any day, here’s a guide by staff reporter John Conroy to the key figures in the scandal. Some of them may look familiar.
June 16, 2006

What Does John Doe Know? The guy blocking the special prosecutor's report on Chicago police torture may be trying to protect more than his own name.
June 9, 2006

Tools of Torture
Though he continues to deny it, Jon Burge tortured suspects while he was a Chicago police detective. Now his contemporaries from Vietnam reveal where he may have learned the tricks of his trade.
February 4, 2005

The Mysterious Third Device
February 4, 2005

Torturer's Logic
All over the world, torturers have one thing in common: they think they're doing the right thing.
May 14, 2004

Deaf to the Screams The next state's attorney to investigate police torture in Chicago will be the first.
August 1, 2003

A Hell of a Deal
His job is to prosecute criminals. But if the criminals are cops, state's attorney Dick Devine doesn't want to hear about it. Now, with Devine offering inmates their freedom if they'll drop their claims of torture, some defense attorneys suggest appointing a prosecutor to go over his head.
October 12, 2001

What Price Freedom?
Darrell Cannon has accepted a plea bargain that will spare him a lifetime in prison. But there's a catch: the police officers he's accused of torture won't be forced to testify.
March 2, 2001

The Magic Can
It grows. It shrinks. It leaps throught locked doors. If you believe that, you won't mind if the state executes Madison Hobley.
May 26, 2000

Pure Torture
Police lieutenant Raymond Patterson didn't believe his son Aaron was a gangbanger. He was wrong. Then he didn't believe that police officers had forced Aaron to confess to a double murder. He may have been wrong about that too.
December 3, 1999

Poison in the System
Darrell Cannon and a parade of men claim they were tortured by detectives at Area Two. Why won't the police department confront its demons?
June 25, 1999

Shot in the Dark
In the confusion surrounding the bloody shoot-out that killed Nick Richard, one thing is perfectly clear—the police department doesn't want to hear about it.
November 6, 1998

The Shocking Truth After insisting for years that Andrew Wilson was never tortured by police, why did the city then begin insisting that he was?
January 10, 1997

Town Without Pity Police torture: The courts know about it, the media know about it, and chances are you know about it. So why aren't we doing anything about it?
January 12, 1996

House of Screams Torture by electroshock: Could it happen in a Chicago police station? Did it happen at Area 2?
January 26, 1990

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How Chicago's 'Fraternal Order of Propaganda' shapes the story of fatal police shootings

When cops kill civilians, their union is on hand to defend them. In many cases this has come at the expense of the truth.
- by Yana Kunichoff and Sam Stecklow
- Feb 3, 2016
John Conroy's drama about police torture gets published not a moment too soon

My Kind of Town dramatizes the former Reader reporter's writing on police brutality.
- by Michael Miner
- Dec 16, 2015
When Chicago cops shoot

Since 1986 more than 1,600 people have been shot by Chicago police officers—an average of more than one person a week. In the 208 cases closed over the last two years, not a single shooting has been found to be unjustified. Should we be reassured?
- by Steve Bogira
- May 20, 2015
The Sentencing of Jon Burge

Transcript of Judge Joan Lefkow's sentencing of former police commander Jon Burge
- by Michael Miner
- Jan 24, 2011
John Conroy's Mixed Feelings on Burge's Sentence
- by Steve Bogira
- Jan 21, 2011
Jon Burge Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison

Jon Burge awaits sentencing.
- by Michael Miner
- Jan 21, 2011
Conroy on Burge

The reporter who's spent 20 years investigating the police torture kingpin on why the perjury verdict surprised even him.
- by Michael Miner
- Jul 8, 2010
This Is Chicago, and Independence Is in the Eye of the Beholder

At a community meeting in Uptown this week, citizens question whether Chicago's Independent Police Review Authority is truly independent.
- by Mick Dumke
- Mar 4, 2010
Everyone Is Implicated

My Kind of Town, John Conroy's unforgiving new play about the Chicago police torture scandal, gets a reading at the Chicago Writers' Bloc New Play Festival.
- by Deanna Isaacs
- Oct 8, 2009
Outrageless

Is Chicago more complacent than other big cities?
- by Michael Miner
- Jan 22, 2009
The Persistence of Andrew Wilson

A cop killer who fought to expose torture in the Chicago Police Department has died, but his testimony from beyond the grave could still help bring down its perpetrators.
- by John Conroy
- Nov 29, 2007
Police Torture: Is This a Gag?

The city's lawyers claim a gag order prevents them from discussing the strange deal they made to settle police torture lawsuits. There's no order.
- by John Conroy
- Sep 27, 2007
Follow-Up: The Meter's Still Running and the Mayor's Still Mum

Since 2003 the city has paid some $7 million in legal fees to fight five police torture lawsuits it probably can't win. The latest turn in this saga involves a secret settlement agreement designed to protect Daley.
- by John Conroy
- Jul 5, 2007
Twenty Questions

Lawyers for police torture victims are trying to get Mayor Daley on the stand. We've got a few things to ask him too.
- by John Conroy
- May 10, 2007
Killed On Camera

Officer Alvin Weems shot an unarmed man point-blank in view of CTA security cameras. Investigators recommended that he be fired. Phil Cline promoted him.
- by John Conroy
- Apr 19, 2007
The Good Cop

Detective Frank Laverty did the right thing--and paidfor it for years.
- by John Conroy
- Jan 4, 2007
Blind Justices?

The prosecutors who sent police torture victims to prison are now the judges who keep them there.
- by John Conroy
- Nov 30, 2006
Grading the Special Prosecutor's Report: Incomplete

They seem to have decided that if they couldn't indict, they shouldn't bother to accuse.
- by Michael Miner
- Jul 27, 2006
Doe in the Headlights

By trying so hard to keep his name out of the police torture report, Lawrence Hyman has made sure it's a name we'll always associate with police torture.
- by John Conroy
- Jul 20, 2006
The Police Torture Scandals: A Who's Who

Since the first reports of Chicago police torture surfaced a quarter century ago the list has swelled to nearly 200 cases involving dozens of public employees--and still no one has been prosecuted. Now, with the results of a four-year, multimillion dollar
- by John Conroy
- Jun 15, 2006
What Does John Doe Know?

The guy blocking the special prosecutor's report on Chicago police torture may be trying to protect more than his own name.
- by John Conroy
- Jun 8, 2006
The Mysterious Third Device
- by John Conroy
- Feb 3, 2005
Tools of Torture

Though he continues to deny it, Jon Burge tortured suspects while he was a Chicago police detective. Now his contemporaries from Vietnam reveal where he may have learned the tricks of his trade.
- by John Conroy
- Feb 3, 2005
Torturers' Logic

All over the world, torturers have one thing in common: they think they're doing the right thing.
- by John Conroy
- May 13, 2004
Shot in the Dark

It's been nearly a year since Barry Cunnane was inexplicably gunned down, but his friends haven't given up on finding the killer.
- by Ben Joravsky
- Mar 25, 2004
Deaf to the Screams

The next state's attorney to investigate police torture in Chicago will be the first.
- by John Conroy
- Jul 31, 2003
A Hell of a Deal

His job is to prosecute criminals. But if the criminals are cops, state's attorney Dick Devine doesn't want to hear about it. Now, with Devine offering inmates freedom to drop claims of torture, defense attorneys suggest a prosecutor to go over his head.
- by John Conroy
- Oct 11, 2001
Annals of Police Torture: What Price Freedom?

Darrell Cannon has accepted a plea bargain that will spare him a lifetime in prison. But there's a catch: the police officers he's accused of torture won't be forced to testify.
- by John Conroy
- Mar 1, 2001
This Is A Magic Can

It grows. It shrinks. It leaps through locked doors. If you believe that, you won't mind if the state executes Madison Hobley.
- by John Conroy
- May 25, 2000
Pure Torture

Police Lieutenant Raymond Patterson didn't believe his son Aaron was a gangbanger. He was wrong. Then he didn't believe that police officers had forced Aaron to confess to a double murder. He may have been wrong about that too.
- by John Conroy
- Dec 2, 1999
The Shocking Truth

After insisting for years that Andrew Wilson was never tortured by police, why is the city now insisting that he was?
- by John Conroy
- Jan 9, 1997
Town Without Pity

Police torture: The courts know about it, the media know about it, and chances are you know about it. So why aren't we doing anything about it?
- by John Conroy
- Jan 11, 1996
House of Screams

Torture by Electroshock: Could it happen in a Chicago police station? Did it happen at Area 2?
- by John Conroy
- Jan 25, 1990
Torture

A center for the treatment of torture victims has opened in Uptown. Business is brisk.
- by John Conroy
- Aug 4, 1988

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The Police Torture Scandal: A Who's Who

1. The Ringleader: Jon Burge
- by John Conroy
- Jun 3, 2010
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Police Torture in Chicago

An archive of articles by John Conroy on police torture, Jon Burge, and related issues

Related Stories

When cops kill civilians, their union is on hand to defend them. In many cases this has come at the expense of the truth.

My Kind of Town dramatizes the former Reader reporter's writing on police brutality.

Since 1986 more than 1,600 people have been shot by Chicago police officers—an average of more than one person a week. ​In the 208 cases closed over the last two years, not a single shooting has been found to be unjustified. Should we be reassured?

Transcript of Judge Joan Lefkow's sentencing of former police commander Jon Burge

Jon Burge awaits sentencing.

The reporter who's spent 20 years investigating the police torture kingpin on why the perjury verdict surprised even him.

At a community meeting in Uptown this week, citizens question whether Chicago's Independent Police Review Authority is truly independent.

My Kind of Town, John Conroy's unforgiving new play about the Chicago police torture scandal, gets a reading at the Chicago Writers' Bloc New Play Festival.

Is Chicago more complacent than other big cities?

A cop killer who fought to expose torture in the Chicago Police Department has died, but his testimony from beyond the grave could still help bring down its perpetrators.

The city's lawyers claim a gag order prevents them from discussing the strange deal they made to settle police torture lawsuits. There's no order.

Since 2003 the city has paid some $7 million in legal fees to fight five police torture lawsuits it probably can't win. The latest turn in this saga involves a secret settlement agreement designed to protect Daley.

Lawyers for police torture victims are trying to get Mayor Daley on the stand. We've got a few things to ask him too.

Officer Alvin Weems shot an unarmed man point-blank in view of CTA security cameras. Investigators recommended that he be fired. Phil Cline promoted him.

Detective Frank Laverty did the right thing--and paidfor it for years.

The prosecutors who sent police torture victims to prison are now the judges who keep them there.

They seem to have decided that if they couldn't indict, they shouldn't bother to accuse.

By trying so hard to keep his name out of the police torture report, Lawrence Hyman has made sure it's a name we'll always associate with police torture.

Since the first reports of Chicago police torture surfaced a quarter century ago the list has swelled to nearly 200 cases involving dozens of public employees--and still no one has been prosecuted. Now, with the results of a four-year, multimillion dollar

The guy blocking the special prosecutor's report on Chicago police torture may be trying to protect more than his own name.

Though he continues to deny it, Jon Burge tortured suspects while he was a Chicago police detective. Now his contemporaries from Vietnam reveal where he may have learned the tricks of his trade.

All over the world, torturers have one thing in common: they think they're doing the right thing.

It's been nearly a year since Barry Cunnane was inexplicably gunned down, but his friends haven't given up on finding the killer.

The next state's attorney to investigate police torture in Chicago will be the first.

His job is to prosecute criminals. But if the criminals are cops, state's attorney Dick Devine doesn't want to hear about it. Now, with Devine offering inmates freedom to drop claims of torture, defense attorneys suggest a prosecutor to go over his head.

Darrell Cannon has accepted a plea bargain that will spare him a lifetime in prison. But there's a catch: the police officers he's accused of torture won't be forced to testify.

It grows. It shrinks. It leaps through locked doors. If you believe that, you won't mind if the state executes Madison Hobley.

Police Lieutenant Raymond Patterson didn't believe his son Aaron was a gangbanger. He was wrong. Then he didn't believe that police officers had forced Aaron to confess to a double murder. He may have been wrong about that too.

After insisting for years that Andrew Wilson was never tortured by police, why is the city now insisting that he was?

Police torture: The courts know about it, the media know about it, and chances are you know about it. So why aren't we doing anything about it?

Torture by Electroshock: Could it happen in a Chicago police station? Did it happen at Area 2?

A center for the treatment of torture victims has opened in Uptown. Business is brisk.

Comments (5)

More by John Conroy

1. The Ringleader: Jon Burge

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Since 1986 more than 1,600 people have been shot by Chicago police officers—an average of more than one person a week. In the 208 cases closed over the last two years, not a single shooting has been found to be unjustified. Should we be reassured?