Chicago Reader | Police Torture in Chicago: The John Conroy archive

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This archive contains articles by Reader staff writer John Conroy, who has been covering police torture and related issues since 1990.

The Persistence of Andrew Wilson November 29, 2007
A cop killer who fought to expose torture in the Chicago Police Department has died, but his testimony from beyond the grave could still help bring down its perpetrators.

Is This a Gag? September 28, 2007
The city’s lawyers claim a gag order prevents them from discussing the strange deal they made to settle police torture lawsuits. There’s no order.

The Meter's Still Running and the Mayor's Still Mum July 6, 2007
Since 2003 the city has paid some $7 million in legal fees to fight five police torture lawsuits it probably can't win. The latest turn in this saga involves a secret settlement agreement designed to protect Daley.

Twenty Questions May 11, 2007
Lawyers for police torture victims are trying to get Mayor Daley on the stand. We've got a few things to ask him too.

The Good Cop January 5, 2007
Detective Frank Laverty did the right thing—and paid for it for years.

Blind Justices? December 1, 2006
The prosecutors who sent police torture victims to prison are now the judges who keep them there.

Doe in the Headlights July 19, 2006
By trying so hard to keep his name out of the police torture report, Lawrence Hyman has made sure it’s a name we'll always associate with police torture.

The Police Torture Scandal: A Who's Who June 16, 2006
With the results of a four-year, multimillion dollar investigation due any day, here’s a guide by staff reporter John Conroy to the key figures in the scandal. Some of them may look familiar.

What Does John Doe Know? June 9, 2006
The guy blocking the special prosecutor's report on Chicago police torture may be trying to protect more than his own name.

Tools of Torture February 4, 2005
Though he continues to deny it, Jon Burge tortured suspects while he was a Chicago police detective. Now his contemporaries from Vietnam reveal where he may have learned the tricks of his trade.

The Mysterious Third Device February 4, 2005

Torturer's Logic May 14, 2004
All over the world, torturers have one thing in common: they think they're doing the right thing.

Deaf to the Screams August 1, 2003
The next state's attorney to investigate police torture in Chicago will be the first.

A Hell of a Deal October 12, 2001
His job is to prosecute criminals. But if the criminals are cops, state's attorney Dick Devine doesn't want to hear about it. Now, with Devine offering inmates their freedom if they'll drop their claims of torture, some defense attorneys suggest appointing a prosecutor to go over his head.

What Price Freedom? March 2, 2001
Darrell Cannon has accepted a plea bargain that will spare him a lifetime in prison. But there's a catch: the police officers he's accused of torture won't be forced to testify.

The Magic Can May 26, 2000
It grows. It shrinks. It leaps throught locked doors. If you believe that, you won't mind if the state executes Madison Hobley.

Pure Torture December 3, 1999
Police lieutenant Raymond Patterson didn't believe his son Aaron was a gangbanger. He was wrong. Then he didn't believe that police officers had forced Aaron to confess to a double murder. He may have been wrong about that too.

Poison in the System June 25, 1999
Darrell Cannon and a parade of men claim they were tortured by detectives at Area Two. Why won't the police department confront its demons?

Shot in the Dark November 6, 1998
In the confusion surrounding the bloody shoot-out that killed Nick Richard, one thing is perfectly clear—the police department doesn't want to hear about it.

The Shocking Truth January 10, 1997
After insisting for years that Andrew Wilson was never tortured by police, why did the city then begin insisting that he was?

Town Without Pity January 12, 1996
Police torture: The courts know about it, the media know about it, and chances are you know about it. So why aren't we doing anything about it?

House of Screams January 26, 1990
Torture by electroshock: Could it happen in a Chicago police station? Did it happen at Area 2?

Send a letter to the editor.

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Kristin Lems at 11:22 PM on 9/21/2007

A city that has Olympic pretensions but can't even bring a notorious torturer to trial? which spent millions on his behalf? This sounds to me like "Jena North." It is a scandal and unless satisfactorily resolved should disqualify Chicago as an Olympic site. Thank you for allowing us to access your 18 year long archive on this great shame.

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miracle aiono at 11:10 AM on 9/26/2007

i'm doing my senior project on police brutality and i was wondering if you know what happened to the cops that caused this torture.

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Mark Kaspi at 8:37 PM on 9/30/2007

A (National) police epidemic

Re: Chicago police again mired in scandal by AP reporter Mike Robinson

Dear reporters, "protectors of our democracy". The NY papers though will be provided with copies of this communiqué, will never publish it, since the Mayor, a Senator, a borough President, police brass… and big time favors are involved… oops, I forgot to mention "Judges", and the hell with children and public safety.
Many in the press will receive this communiqué.
---------------------------------------------
September 24th, 2007

Mark Kaspi

New York State
Office of the Attorney General
Public Integrity Unit
120 Broadway, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10271
(212) 416-8090
COMPLAINT

Dear Sir/madam,

Some years ago, a friend at my west side neighborhood was brutally raped at gun point by four thugs. That evening, after returning from work, and learning as to what happened to my friend, the police was called in. Observing that police officers, while looking for fingerprints at my friend’s apartment, are cracking jokes among themselves, laughing out loud… while my friend lie down in agony, I took my friend aside, and obtained a very good description of the thugs. That evening, I went out to the streets of NYC, looking for the thugs. Within less than 48 hours following the crime, I surrendered all four thugs into police custody. An hour or so after I caught the thugs, while being debriefed by police as to how/when… I caught them, a police officer informs me that the NY assistant DA is about to release the thugs from police custody. I immediately got on the phone with her, and found out that because one of the thugs is the son of a NYC "prominent lawyer" the assistant DA intends to release them. I made it very clear to her that it is utterly irresponsible to release those thugs after they committed such a serious crime, further jeopardizing the people, and added that: "If the thugs will be released, the consequences of her irresponsible actions will become her liability". The thugs were processed, charged, put on trial… and two of them did jail time. The neighborhood was safe for a while.
Two police officers asked me not to "make waves", and not talk to the papers or bring this episode to the news department at NBC (where I worked). "Please, don’t make us look bad" they asked. I made it very clear to them, that the assistant DA conduct as a NYC official is not taken lightly by me, and I am sure the people, if they find out as to the reason(s) criminals are being released to the streets, further jeopardizing them… they will react with outrage. The officers promised that "this incident will never be repeated", and I respected their wishes "not to make waves", even though an article about my deeds did appear in the papers, without my consent.

The reason I bring the above to your attention is simple. These continuing practices of favoritism while disregarding public and children’s safety persist among NY official, and got close to home. My home. And that’s where buck stops.

My wife, while working at a food establishment received terrorizing phone calls, threatening to harm rape and kill her, and threats to harm our children, due to our religious and national origin/background. One of the calls was traced to a secure area, extension #10 at the basement of the food establishment. After my wife complained to her superiors, my wife was fired. Some eight months after my wife was fired, the day the papers reported that the food establishment is being sued by my wife; additional terrorizing calls and messages were left on our answering machine, again, with threats to rape and kill my wife, if she shows up at that food establishment. When a complaint about the terrorizing messages was filed with NYPD, a detective by the name of Torres was assigned to "investigate", and he came up with a shakedown/bribe demand for $900 to be handed to him, in order to initiate an investigation. A demand I never heard of before in my entire life. Complaints filed with (NYPD) Internal affairs, with the office of the (NY) Attorney General and other government offices, resulted in conversations with people who "did not know anything", misinformed me, and hung up the phone on me. All the names are on and for the record. Requests, asking NYPD for an account as to what the NYPD and its Internal Affairs Department did or did not do about these severe "allegations", resulted in nothing, even though (at least) one officer admitted, for the record, that what the detective did, "should have never taken place", and that he (the detective) "acted improperly, but we are not going to do anything about it".
The authorities’ public relation efforts with regards to public safety, their "concern for children", Amber Alerts… etc, as marketed/advertised for the public, contradicts what is actually taking place in everyday life, were police officers do not investigating crimes committed at establishments they frequent (patronize), while receiving "special treatment" from owners at such establishment, demanding bribes from crime victims… and covering up for each other. The scope of official engaged in such illegal activities is alarming, and should be dealt with promptly.
Given that the perpetrator (and accomplices) is/are still at large, in my humble opinion, unless otherwise requested, the recordings (in the enclosed tape cassette) should be made known to the public around our country and around the world, since children’s safety as well as public safety in NY is at stake, jeopardized by those assigned to protect us all.

The following case numbers were provided to me by authorities (some fictitious):
From the DA’s special prosecution unit: 20197
From NY Internal Affairs: 06-41127
ICO: 5068-06
FBI: 5604

Your prompt attention to issues brought before you in this letter will be appreciated by all. Please, feel free to contact me, anytime.

Sincerely,

Mark Kaspi
AMERICAN

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Steve Murphy at 8:26 AM on 12/11/2007

Like to interview John Conroy for ABC Radio's The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com. Call me @ 818 762 6800 x 20

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Emma Yorra at 11:13 AM on 12/14/2007

hi mr. Conroy
i don't know if this message will reach you, but i saw you speak on democracy now this morning and it really touched me. i'd heard about the torture case (thanks to your excellent work) a long time ago and it made me shake my head with shame and impotence about this country. this morning i woke up to good news, that someone was standing up and doing something about this, that money would be paid, justice served. i just want to say that i think you are one of the bravest people i've ever seen and i really admire you. you are the kind of person that makes me proud to be an american and you inspire me to action. I can only imagine that right now is a time of great difficulty for you because of the decisions of your newspaper, and i just wanted to let you know that during this time of struggle, a lot of people out there think you are a hero.
thank you
emma yorra

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Enver H. at 10:09 AM on 12/17/2007

Is this the same John Conroy that wrote "Belfast Diary"? Good lord that book was fantastic!

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Michael Goldston at 3:03 PM on 1/24/2008

I heard that John is no longer with the Reader. If that's true, where can one find him these days?

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John can be reached at . . . at 8:32 PM on 1/24/2008

JConroy329 [at] aol.com

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Nona Farrar at 10:30 PM on 2/23/2008

If you're a registered voter in Chicago, please email me to sign the petition for a binding referendum to be put on the 11/08 ballot for Chicago voters to "elect' the Chicago Police and Fire Superintendent
email:nonafarrar@yahoo.com If you'd like to sign petition and or have circulators in your area

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Jim McArdle at 9:34 PM on 3/3/2008

Riddle me this...your wife and children have been kidnapped...the kidnapper is caught and confesses and states they are burried alive with maybe 6 hours of air left....but he refuses to say where...the only thing that he is afraid of is electrical shock torture....would you or any of you liberal dogooders ask if Cmdr Burge could handle the case or let them die??? please I cant wait to read your answers...