Stories by Heather Cherone

Jose Almanza-Martinez, 67, died in the crash that ended the chase on Aug. 2, 2020, near 26th Street and Pulaski Road, records show.

Arnold Day was convicted and sentenced to 60 years in prison in 1992 based on confessions coerced by Chicago police detectives trained by Jon Burge, a disgraced Chicago police commander, according to court records.

Chief Procurement Officer Sharla Roberts told the Chicago City Council’s Public Safety Committee that officials are still weighing the bids submitted by nine firms, including one by SoundThinking, the firm that operates ShotSpotter.

Any verdict or settlement in the case would be paid by Chicago taxpayers, who will also foot the bill to defend Ald. Jim Gardiner’s claims.

The fine is the largest ever levied by the Chicago Board of Ethics, which was founded in 1987.

A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson said he supported the compromise measure even though it would undermine one of his major legislative accomplishments as he prepares to run for a second term as mayor.

The cost of defending and resolving police misconduct lawsuits has become a frequent source of political heartburn for members of the Chicago City Council.

“This verdict reflects the jury’s clear conclusion that the crash resulted from the fleeing offender’s own actions, and not from the city’s lawful pursuit,” Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry said.

The agreement averts a trial that would have asked a federal jury to decide whether former Chicago Police Detective Reynaldo Guevara coerced Arturo DeLeon-Reyes into confessing to a 1998 Bucktown double murder.

The City Council’s Police and Fire Committee voted 14-2 to send Anjanette Young’s nomination to serve a four-year term on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability to the full City Council for a final vote on May 20.

“There is a mismatch here in terms of what the people of Chicago and Illinois are most concerned about and how government is responding and reacting,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

The Chicago City Council’s License and Consumer Protection Committee voted to ban the thousands of unpermitted sweepstakes machines that operate in all kinds of businesses across the city, including in bars, restaurants, gas stations, laundromats and convenience stores.

In the trial set to start May 11, a jury will be asked to decide whether former CPD Detective Reynaldo Guevara framed Arturo DeLeon-Reyes, whose conviction in a 1998 double murder was overturned after a judge determined Guevara told “bald-faced lies” while under oath.

In all, Chicago taxpayers spent $285.8 million on overtime for members of the Chicago Police Department during 2025, 5.6% less than the previous year, according to the data.

Mayor Brandon Johnson called David Glockner “a seasoned public servant with the experience, independence, and integrity needed to serve as the city’s watchdog and strengthen accountability across our operations.”

Officials have now determined that officers assigned to tactical team in the Harrison (11th) Police District on the West Side, one of the most violent in the city, violated dozens of department rules during three traffic stops.

Between 2023, when Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling took office, and 2025, the number of times police officers used force against a member of the public increased approximately 35.8%, according to CPD data.

The agency that provides more than 65,000 low-income households with public housing, rental vouchers and homeownership programs remains mired in uncertainty and at odds with Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Officer Michael Donnelly’s actions “brought significant negative attention and discredit upon the department” and “exposed CPD to civil liability,” COPA concluded.

“This step allows us to continue pursuing the case in a manner that fully protects the rights of Adam Toledo’s family,” said Adeena Weiss Ortiz, the lead lawyer for Elizabeth and Marco Toledo, the teen’s parents. “Let me be clear: This case is not over.”

Chicago has earned “every bit” of its reputation as the most corrupt of corrupt American cities, with much more work to be done, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.

Chicago restaurants must phase out the tipped minimum wage by July 1, 2028, while giving servers and other workers who earn gratuities 8% raises annually every July 1.

The city’s 2026 budget set aside just $82.5 million for police misconduct settlements, and authorized officials to borrow an additional $283.3 million to cover the soaring cost of lawsuits alleging wrongdoing by police officers, records show.

Inspector General Deborah Witzburg did not conclude in the report released Wednesday that the CPD members deliberately covered up the fatal crash. Instead, Witzburg found that their actions prevented her office from “conducting a full and complete investigation."

The monitors praised CPD for making “significant progress” between July 1 and Dec. 31 in effort to comply with the consent decree, which has been in effect for seven years.

The vote came after officials with Bally’s Corp. issued the most direct warning to the City Council that its move to green-light video gaming would kneecap the city’s permanent casino, scheduled to open in River West later this year.