Stories by Matt Masterson

Chicago Police Monitoring Situation in Kenosha After Police Shooting Sparks Protests

Top cop David Brown called viral video of shooting “god-awful” to watch

“What happens in Wisconsin or any other city in our country does affect all of us,” Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said during a press conference Monday morning. “And yes, we are monitoring that situation."

Chicago Teen Faces Federal Carjacking, Firearm Charges

Michael Pearson, 18, is facing federal carjacking and firearm charges brought as part of a nationwide initiative between federal local law enforcement agencies aimed at combating violent crime.

‘It Felt Like a Battle Zone’: Speakers Share Allegations of Police Abuse at Protests

Dozens of people say police escalated violence at recent protests in Chicago, beat demonstrators and mocked their cause with no fear of reprisal. “It felt like a battle zone,” one speaker said.

CPD Expands Community Policing Initiative, Launches New Training Academy

The Chicago Police Department is expanding a community policing initiative it says has already helped reduce 911 calls in one police district by assigning officers to specific geographic areas to build trust with its residents.

CPS Announces New Reforms to School Resource Officer Program

School resource officers with sustained allegations of excessive force, or complaints of inappropriate interactions with youth in the past five years will no longer be eligible to serve in schools, city officials announced Wednesday.

CPS Releases Final Reopening Plan With 3 Weeks Left Before Classes Resume

Three weeks before students return to a fully remote instruction plan for the fall, Chicago Public Schools released its final reopening plan and updated remote learning guidelines for students and families.

Judge Delays R. Kelly’s Federal Trial in Chicago Amid COVID-19 Difficulties

“Forcing these witnesses to risk their health, or the health of their families, is not something the government wishes to do,” federal prosecutors wrote last week in a request to delay the October trial.

Special Prosecutor Finds ‘Substantial Abuses of Discretion’ in Kim Foxx’s Handling of Jussie Smollett Case

Special prosecutor Dan Webb did not find evidence to warrant criminal charges against State’s Attorney Kim Foxx or anyone in her office. But he did report the way actor Jussie Smollett’s charges were dismissed represented a “major failure.”

‘We Are United’: Lightfoot, Local Officials Announce Plans to Prevent Further Looting

The mayor announced a five-point plan to protect businesses and better identify and respond to looting through analytics, additional police deployments and faster lockdowns in areas where businesses are being burglarized.

Youth Activists March to Lightfoot’s Home to Demand Removal of Police From Schools

Holding signs that read “CPD out of CPS” and “Police Free Schools Now,” dozens of youth activists approached the mayor’s home after an organized rally in Logan Square Park where they called for the removal of officers from Chicago public schools.

Map: Which CPS Schools Have Voted to Keep or Remove Police Officers?

Chicago Public Schools leaders have left it up to local school councils to decide whether they want to continue or eliminate resource officer programs at their respective schools. Here’s where things stand as voting wraps up.

$2M Bond for Chicago Man Accused of Intentionally Running Over Pedestrian

After striking two women with his car Monday night in downtown Chicago, Edgar Roman allegedly circled back, targeted them and ran over one of the women a second time, dragging her body down the street and killing her.

1,382 New COVID-19 Cases in Illinois, 8 Additional Deaths

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced a woman in her 20s was among the eight Illinoisans who died of COVID-19 on Sunday.

Chicago Police Name First Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Officer

The CPD has named Deborah Pascua as its ADA compliance officer. In that role she’ll be tasked with ensuring “meaningful access to CPD programs, services and activities” for individuals with disabilities.

City Colleges Staffers Threaten Strike Over In-Person Learning Plan

The Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600, which represents nearly 2,000 CCC staffers, has an emergency meeting Friday to discuss a no-confidence vote, which could lead to a safety strike later this month.

‘That Boy Was Loved’: Family, Friends Gather to Remember Slain Teen Activist Caleb Reed

The 17-year-old worked as a youth leader with Voices of Youth in Chicago Education and had sought the removal of police officers from Chicago schools. He died Sunday, two days after he was shot in Rogers Park.

Murder Charge Filed in Slaying of 9-Year-Old Chicago Boy

The man accused of gunning down Janari Ricks last week was “hunting” for a victim, Cook County prosecutors said, after he was seen on surveillance footage peering over fences in the area while “looking for somebody to shoot.”

Chicago Police: Arrest Made in Friday Murder of 9-Year-Old Boy

Chicago police have a suspect in custody in connection with the shooting death of Janari Ricks near the Cabrini Rowhouses on Friday night. Criminal charges are expected to be filed in the coming days.

Man Charged With 6 Counts of Attempted Murder After Shootout With Chicago Police

The man accused of wounding three Chicago police officers in a shootout outside a Northwest Side police station Thursday morning has been charged with six counts of attempted murder and multiple other felonies.

At Least 3 Chicago Police Officers Wounded in Shooting at CPD Station Thursday

Three Chicago Police officers were shot, including one who was struck in the neck, outside a Northwest side police station Thursday by an offender who had been arrested as a suspect in a June carjacking.

CPS: More Than 400 Daily COVID-19 Cases Could Trigger Full-Time Remote Learning

In order for schools to move to fully remote instruction this fall, the city of Chicago must hit a rolling average of 400 new COVID-19 cases per day, according to new guidance from Chicago Public Schools.

Activists File Suit to Protect Protesters With Federal Agents Coming to Chicago

Attorneys representing Black Lives Matter Chicago and several other groups filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking an injunction to halt the feds from interfering with peaceful protests or making arrests without probable cause.

‘Put Your Guns Down,’ Lightfoot, Police Implore After Tuesday’s Mass Shooting

The morning after a shooting injured at least 15 people, police Superintendent David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot pleaded with community members to come forward with information and help break the ongoing cycle of gang violence in Chicago.

Chicago Police: 15 People Shot Outside Funeral Home Tuesday Evening

More than a dozen people were shot in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood in what has become one of the city’s largest mass shootings in years — at a time when President Donald Trump is planning to send federal agents to Chicago.

How Will CPS Improve Remote Learning? Track Attendance? Schools Chief Talks Reopening Plan

It’s become one of the most pressing questions of the summer: Will schools reopen this fall, and if so, how will they do it safely? We speak with Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson.

Trio Allegedly Defrauded Victims Out of $750K Through Romance, Inheritance Scams

Two men and a woman with Chicago-area ties could face decades in federal prison after they allegedly swindled dozens of victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through inheritance and romance fraud schemes.
 

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