For the past several years, the Chicago Police Department has solved an average of 50% of the city’s homicides per year. But that number, known as a clearance rate, is even lower for Black victims.
Crime & Law
James Jackson, 55, appeared in court Friday on charges of aggravated battery of a transit employee and aggravated battery of a victim over 60 years old after he allegedly struck a CTA worker at the Washington Blue Line station.
Eva Bratcher allegedly bought a freezer a week after her elderly mother died and used it to conceal her body for nearly two years before it was discovered by police at their Northwest Side home earlier this week.
U.S. prosecutors in Chicago said Girardi, his attorney son-in-law and their firm’s chief financial officer took funds for five clients who reached settlements with Boeing, the makers of the 737 Max operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air that crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29, 2018 and killed 189 people.
Jeffrey Kriv, 56, has been charged with four felony counts of perjury and five felony counts of forgery, according to the Chicago Office of Inspector General.
Miguel Deleon, who was set to go to trial this week on charges that he sexually assaulted two customers at his home, has been arrested and now faces new charges for allegedly sexually abusing or assaulting three more women under similar circumstances.
R. Kelly has already been convicted in other jurisdictions and sentenced to decades in prison, with more time likely to be added during a sentencing hearing next month.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on Monday announced her office will be dropping its case against Kelly — nearly four years after he was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and abuse.
According to Chicago Police Department data, 13 people were wounded by gunfire over the weekend between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Those victims survived their wounds, but two men were killed in shootings just after 6 a.m. Monday.
Voters will elect three-member councils for each of the city's 22 police districts. Those councils will be charged with holding regular meetings and bringing concerns and recommendations from community members to the city and police leadership.
It's been one year since 8-year-old Melissa Ortega was shot to death in Little Village. The community is honoring her memory with a mural and peace tree.
ShotSpotter alerts law enforcement to potential gunfire with the goal of reducing gun violence in Chicago. Critics say it's ineffective and contributes to overpolicing in Black and Latino communities.
The Lunar New Year Parade is returning to Chinatown this weekend. As hundreds are expected to gather, the Chicago Police Department will be on alert following the recent mass shooting in Monterey Park, Calif.
“The circuit court’s decision finding the detention provisions unconstitutional should be reversed,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office wrote in a brief Thursday.
Tony Mason III, 18, was held without bail Thursday after being charged with numerous felonies including first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder stemming from a Sunday shooting that left 17-year-old Jordan Nixon dead.
Will Keeps was a 15-year-old member of a Chicago gang when he witnessed rival members kill his friend. He escaped the streets and moved to Iowa to help other young people from troubled backgrounds.