Stories by Matt Masterson

Attorneys for Rylan Wilder announced Thursday their client had settled with the city of Des Plaines, just as they were about to go to trial over claims that the officer’s actions were excessive and represented willful and wanton conduct.

The Englewood native has been Chicago’s top cop for less than a month, but after spending nearly three decades serving in various roles throughout the department, he believes he knows what’s needed to make improvements for his officers and residents throughout the city.

CPS officials said the High School Admissions Test will be held for district students on either Oct. 24 or Oct. 25 for those taking the exam in English. Students testing in Spanish, Arabic, Polish, Urdu or Simplified Chinese will take the HSAT at school on Nov. 1.

According to police, the person initially ignited several sidewalk autumn or Halloween displays along with some street corner garbage cans. The last three fires have been set with decorations on the front porches of homes.

According to Chicago police, two adult men were attempting to walk across the 800 block of North Lake Shore Drive just before 5:30 a.m. The pair were not in a crosswalk, police said, and one of the men was struck by a BMW X-3 that was heading southbound.

The Justice Department on Sunday announced it has opened a federal hate crimes investigation into the fatal stabbing, after 71-year-old Joseph Czuba allegedly stabbed Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6, and his mother, 32-year-old Hanaan Shahin, in a Plainfield Township home.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 21 people were struck by gunfire in 19 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m Sunday.

The Chicago Police Department says it will be deploying additional patrols this weekend to local mosques and synagogues as tensions continue amid the Israel-Hamas war.

“Thank you to our community partners who shared this information to assist with an expeditious investigation into this incident in light of recent events, including the current conflict in Israel,” the department said in a statement.

Eric Morgan, who faced charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice, has reached a plea agreement more than two years after the shooting, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office announced.

Patrick Taylor, who spent 16 years in custody following his arrest and conviction in the fatal shooting of a suburban rapper in a Rolling Meadows home, is set to be released Wednesday after prosecutors dropped charges against him.

The district said it paused the administration of the hour-long High School Admissions Test for eighth grade CPS students seeking to enroll in a district selective enrollment high school.

Skokie Police on Wednesday announced that 23-year-old Jacob Spiro was arrested this week and charged with two counts of falsely making a terrorist threat and one count of disorderly conduct.

The Illinois State Police on Tuesday announced that 38-year-old Adam Dabash had been charged with two counts of stalking and one count of criminal damage to property.

According to police, the shooting took place just after 2:30 a.m. outside Blum, a restaurant and nightclub in the 300 block of West Erie Street.

Anthony Mothershed, 19, has been arrested and charged aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, months after the deadly shooting at an outdoor gathering during the Juneteenth holiday weekend.

Pat Fitzgerald’s attorney Dan Webb on Thursday announced that the former coach has filed a lawsuit in Cook County court against Northwestern and its president, Michael Schill, alleging the coach was “wrongfully and illegally terminated.”

Through the first three quarters of 2023, homicides and shootings in Chicago are down more than 10% compared to the same time last year, and are each at their lowest totals since at least 2019.

Rina Foygel Barber, 40, was announced as one of the newest members of the “genius grant” fellowship, which provides recipients with a $800,000 no-strings-attached award over five years to spend however they want.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability will launch its second People’s Academy — a six-week training course that’s open to the public and gives an in-depth look at some of the office’s operations, such as complaint investigations, body-worn camera video analysis and disciplinary recommendations.

According to Chicago Police Department figures, there were 37 people shot in 30 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

The SEC on Thursday announced it had filed charges against Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd and its parent company Exelon, alleging they engaged in a “multi-year scheme to corruptly influence and reward” former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

CPS officials on Thursday announced that the district’s 20th day enrollment, which serves as the official tally for the academic year, had risen by about 0.4% up to 323,291 students. That marks the first increase in student population in 12 years.

Lee Harris, 67, who claimed he was framed by police and prosecutors before spending 33 years in prison, filed the federal civil rights lawsuit Thursday — six months after his conviction was vacated and he was released from prison following his conviction in the 1989 murder of 24-year-old Dana Feitler.

“Chicago will miss her fighting spirit and her public service,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “I pray for her family during this trying time and send my deepest condolences to her friends, colleagues and loved ones.”

The board on Tuesday rejected a motion brought by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, which sought to move 22 disciplinary cases from the board to an independent arbitrator, following a summer ruling that opened the door for such a shift.