The final agreement calls for 11 officers to serve suspensions totaling 275 days for their conduct that led to the death by suicide of a 33-year-old woman in December 2021, records show.
Stories by Heather Cherone
Federal Judge Overseeing Chicago Police Department Reforms Won’t Ban No-Knock Warrants or Tighten Restrictions on Raids
U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer rejected nearly all of the demands made by the coalition of police reform groups behind the consent decree, the federal court order requiring CPD to change the way it trains, supervises and disciplines officers.
Analyzing Brandon Johnson’s 1st Year in Office: Push for Progressive Change Complicated by Migrant Crisis, Unforced Errors
“People put me in charge to change course. And what is very clear, I say this with all due humility, people know we are changing course in this city. There should be no doubt in anyone’s minds that we are moving in another direction. I believe people are up for it. And I’m looking forward to the implementation of many of the things that we’ve already put forward.”
Key City Panel OKs 6 of Mayor’s 7 Picks to Serve on Chicago Police Oversight Board
The City Council’s Police and Fire Committee unanimously advanced the nominations of Anthony Driver Jr., Remel Terry, Aaron Gottlieb, Abierre Minor, Kelly Presley and Sandra Wortham to serve four-year terms on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.
Misconduct Agency Ruled 8 Chicago Officers Responsible for Woman Who Died in Police Holding Cell Should be Fired or Face Lengthy Suspensions, But Top Cop Objected
Former interim Chicago Police Supt. Fred Waller objected to the recommendation made by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability that four police officers, a sergeant, a lieutenant and two commanders should be suspended for six months or terminated.
Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin Fined $10K for Firing Whistleblowers
The Chicago Board of Ethics has fined Conyears-Ervin a total of $70,000 in the past month for a series of violations of the city's Government Ethics Ordinance.
City Panel Endorses Proposal to Pay $525K to Teen Run Over by Chicago Police Car During George Floyd Unrest
The Chicago City Council will weigh whether to pay $3.2 million to settle three lawsuits claiming Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct.
Shuttered Woodlawn School Will No Longer Be Used as Migrant Shelter, Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces
There are no plans to use the former school as a shelter in the future, according to a spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Disgraced Detective Reynaldo Guevara Collecting $91K Annual Pension as Cost of His Misconduct Hits $62.5M With 33 Lawsuits Pending
The former Chicago detective has banked more than $1.4 million in pension payments since he retired, according to records obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Key City Panel Advances Johnson’s Pick to Serve on RTA Board After Tense Hearing
The Rev. Ira Acree, the politically connected pastor of the Greater St. John Baptist Church on the West Side, faced unusually pointed questions from alderpeople, who are under increasing pressure to make significant changes to the CTA, which has yet to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chicago Should Pay $1.75M to Family of Woman Who Died in Police Holding Cell, City Lawyers Recommend
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability completed its investigation into the death of Iris Chavez on April 28, 2023, but the results of that probe have not been made public, and no officers have been disciplined in connection with her death.
Probe Opened Into Allegations of Excessive Force by Chicago Police Officers During Pro-Palestinian Protests
A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department said CPD would fully cooperate with the probe, which comes approximately 100 days before the Democratic National Convention comes to Chicago.
Johnson’s Senior Leadership Team More Diverse Than Previous Mayors’ Cabinets: Analysis
In all, the 34 appointments Johnson made between May 2023 and April 2024 that require confirmation by the Chicago City Council reflect the city’s racial diversity, as measured by the 2020 census, more closely than the appointments made by his two predecessors, former Mayors Lori Lightfoot and Rahm Emanuel.
Probe Into 8 CPD Officers Found No Evidence They Were Active Members of Oath Keepers — But Investigators Only Asked Them
Investigators with CPD’s Bureau of Internal Affairs did not interview anyone other than the eight officers accused of belonging to the Oath Keepers, according to a 30-page report.
Top Cop Defends Investigation Into Officers for Ties to Proud Boys and Oath Keepers That Won’t Lead to Discipline
Six months ago, Supt. Larry Snelling promised the Chicago City Council he would rid the police department of officers with ties to hate groups and far-right extremist organizations after “stringent” and “thorough” investigations.
CPD Officers Probed for Ties to Proud Boys and Oath Keepers Won’t Be Disciplined, Department Says
None of the allegations examined by the Bureau of Internal Affairs were sustained, and the investigation announced by Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling has been closed, a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department told WTTW News.
Mayor Brandon Johnson Names 7 to Police Oversight Board After Missing Deadline
It is now up to the Chicago City Council to confirm Mayor Brandon Johnson’s picks to serve four-year terms, which are set to be formally introduced on May 22 and could be voted on by the full City Council as soon as June.
Former Mayoral Candidate Paul Vallas Tells Judge Ex-Ald. Ed Burke is Worthy of ‘Leniency’
“I know he truly cared, not only for his own constituents, but for all of Chicago and for the success of our great city,” former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas wrote of former Ald. Ed Burke, who was convicted of 13 counts of bribery, attempted extortion and racketeering.
Cook County Democrats Tap Commissioner to Replace Karen Yarbrough, Pick Interim Clerk
Leaders of the Cook County Democratic Party selected Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon to run in the November general election to replace Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, who died April 7.
Dexter Reed Hit by 13 Bullets Fired by 4 CPD Officers During Traffic Stop, Autopsy Finds
All five officers who stopped Dexter Reed near the border of Humboldt Park and Garfield Park remain on paid administrative leave and have not returned to active duty after completing a mandatory 30-day stint after the shooting, as required by department rules, a department spokesperson told WTTW News.
Bears Ask Taxpayers for $2.4B Subsidy to Build $4.75B Domed Stadium Along Lakefront
Mayor Brandon Johnson enthusiastically endorsed the plans for a new stadium, calling the renderings of the futuristic oval-shaped stadium with a translucent roof “miraculous.”
Chicago Bears Call a Reverse, Prepare to Unveil Plan for New Domed Stadium on Lakefront
The news that the Bears now want to remain the Chicago Bears in more than just name is the latest twist in the team’s high-profile search for their forever home that faces at least two major obstacles: the need for millions of dollars from taxpayers to subsidize the new stadium and an all-but-certain legal challenge.
Taxpayers Spent at Least $5.6M to Settle, Defend Lawsuits Accusing CPD Officers of Misconduct During Protests, Unrest in 2020: Analysis
Nearly $2 million of that toll went to pay private lawyers to defend the conduct of CPD officers from late May until mid-August 2020, one of the most tumultuous periods in Chicago history, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
Police Union Appeals Ruling Requiring Serious CPD Discipline Hearings to Take Place in Public
Judge Michael Mullen’s decision upheld the effort backed by the city’s largest police union to upend the system used for 60 years to punish officers for serious misconduct, but “split the baby,” said Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara.
City Council Votes 32-17 to Borrow $1.25B to Fund Economic Development, Affordable Housing Projects
The approval represents a major win for Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has touted the proposal as a way to make Chicago a more equitable place to live by “investing in people” and expanding the city’s economic capacity — without raising taxes on Chicago property owners.
City Council Votes 30-18 to Spend $70M More to Care for Migrants in Chicago
Officials expect it will cost an additional $321 million through the end of 2024 to care for the migrants. The Chicago City Council and the Cook County Board of Commissioners have approved plans to contribute $70 million each. State lawmakers are expected to set aside $182 million as part of the state’s budget for the next fiscal year.
