A Timeline of Chicago Police Violence between 1917–2017
This timeline was created for our exhibition, Do Not Resist? 100 Years of Chicago Police Violence on display in 2018, thanks to the support, research, and compiling of by members, friends, and volunteers of For the People Artists Collective, and to the foundational work of We Charge Genocide. Also, this list is not exhaustive! If you know of an incident of police violence during this time period that needs to be added, please fill out this form.
1910's
September 5, 1917
IWW War Resisters Arrested Chicago police raided the national headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in Chicago, as well as 48 of the union's halls across the nation. IWW opposed the war and urged members to refuse conscription into the armed forces. On September 28th, 166 IWW leaders, including union head Big Bill Haywood, were indicted in the Northern District of Illinois. Some 40 of the indicted men could not be found; a few others had charges dismissed against them. Ultimately, 113 defendants made up the largest federal criminal trial up to that point. 101 were found guilty and sentenced to between 1 to 20 years in prison. [Learn more] |
July 27, 1919–August 3, 1919
Red Summer On a hot, summer day at an unofficially segregated Chicago beach, a white man was throwing rocks at Black people on a raft in the water. This malicious rock throwing resulted in Eugene William's death. Tensions escalated when a white police officer did not arrest the white man responsible for William's death, but arrested a Black man. Thousands of Black people turned out to protest soon after. Attacks from white people against Black people erupted swiftly. At the time, Richard J. Daley was a 17-year-old member of an Irish-American organization called the Hamburg Athletic Club. An investigation later identified the club among the instigators of the rioting, although Daley and his supporters never admitted whether or not he participated in the violence. After police were unable to quell the riots, the state militia was called in on the fourth day, but the fighting continued until August 3. Overall, 23 Black people were killed and more than one thousand Black families left homeless due to the burnings and general destruction of property. Afterward, only Black people ended up being sentenced for any crimes. There were 26 similar "race riots" around the country that summer, but Chicago was exceptional in the sheer magnitude. [Learn more] |
1920's
January 1, 1920
Palmer Raids in Chicago
On New Years' Day, Chicago police swooped down upon the homes and gathering places of political dissenters and labor activists, arresting about 150 people including communists, socialists and anarchists, plus a few bystanders. The following day, the feds arrested thousands more nationally and confined many of the foreign-born, pending deportation, at Ellis Island. Historians estimate that during this "Red Scare" upward of 4,000 people were arrested nationwide, 500 of whom were deported.
Palmer Raids in Chicago
On New Years' Day, Chicago police swooped down upon the homes and gathering places of political dissenters and labor activists, arresting about 150 people including communists, socialists and anarchists, plus a few bystanders. The following day, the feds arrested thousands more nationally and confined many of the foreign-born, pending deportation, at Ellis Island. Historians estimate that during this "Red Scare" upward of 4,000 people were arrested nationwide, 500 of whom were deported.
1930's
May 30, 1937
Memorial Day Massacre Hundreds of steel workers and their families gathered for a Memorial Day picnic across the street from Republic Steel Plant in South Chicago. The Congress of Industrial Organizations had been organizing a series of strikes to unionize the iron industry. After the picnic, workers began marching towards Republic Steel demonstrating people power. Despite the mayor’s orders to allow peaceful picketing, officers fired into the crowd. The police fired killed ten, wounded 30 others and an estimated sixty more, including women and children, suffered various injuries. During the strike, the officers set up a temporary headquarters in the plant, ate at the company cafeteria, and used ammunition provided by Republic Steel. |
1940's
May 14, 1943
Elmo Vassar Killed
Police shot and killed Elmo Vassar, a 16-year-old Black youth, in the Morgan Park neighborhood. The community demanded and received a grand jury investigation. Just days before the Detroit riot, the grand jury made its report and refused to indict. Once news of the eruption in Detroit reached Chicago, however, Police Commissioner James P. Allman ordered charges placed against the two officers involved in the shooting.
Elmo Vassar Killed
Police shot and killed Elmo Vassar, a 16-year-old Black youth, in the Morgan Park neighborhood. The community demanded and received a grand jury investigation. Just days before the Detroit riot, the grand jury made its report and refused to indict. Once news of the eruption in Detroit reached Chicago, however, Police Commissioner James P. Allman ordered charges placed against the two officers involved in the shooting.
1950's
April 1, 1954
Radar Gun Introduced
Chicago Police Officer Baldy gives first speeding ticket using a radar gun. Radar guns were created by inventors who were developing radar systems for the military in WWII.
September 20, 1957
First TV Show Based on CPD Appears
1950 brought the first widely popular TV cop drama, Dragnet, which was based on LAPD. In 1954, Time Magazine wrote that Americans had “gained a new appreciation of the underpaid, long-suffering ordinary policeman” and their “first rudimentary understanding of real-life law enforcement.” M Squad came about in 1957 and centered on a squad of Chicago Police detectives. The episode "The Jumper" featured an officer taking bribes. It was reportedly this depiction that prompted then-Mayor Richard J. Daley to thereafter effectively banned motion picture and television from filming on location in Chicago for the rest of his administration and its aftermath. John Landis' successful 1980 musical comedy motion picture The Blues Brothers marked the reversal of that policy by Mayor Jane Byrne.
November 24, 1958
Helicopters Introduced to CPD
A “Flying Officer” reported traffic tie-ups and accidents from high above the city’s expressways and main arteries. Helicopters, developed for war, would later be famously used in high speed chases and SWAT raids, but also in surveilling & containing riots, demonstrations and other large events.
March 14, 1959
Jesse Mae Robinson Assaulted by CPD
This is an excerpt from "Where the Girls at? Invisibility and Police Violence" written by Mariame Kaba: "From her hospital bed in 1959, Jessie Mae Robinson recounted a story of violence to the police. Mrs. Robinson, owner of the New South Park Record Store, was arrested along with nearly 50 others when the police raided a party at a private home on March 14th. The raid conducted without a search warrant. All of the partygoers were taken to the Englewood police station where Mrs. Robinson said that the eight women who were among those arrested "were subjected to indignities" including physical assault and verbal abuse (i.e. being called racial epithets). Apparently the police officers who raided the party helped themselves to some beer while there and started drinking when they arrived at the station. Mrs. Robinson's injuries from her mistreatment were bad enough that she was hospitalized. She identified a Detective Franck Hackel as her chief tormentor. This is not an exceptional recounting of police treatment in the Black community, but given as a run-of-the-mill example of how police operate under open corruption with impunity."
Radar Gun Introduced
Chicago Police Officer Baldy gives first speeding ticket using a radar gun. Radar guns were created by inventors who were developing radar systems for the military in WWII.
September 20, 1957
First TV Show Based on CPD Appears
1950 brought the first widely popular TV cop drama, Dragnet, which was based on LAPD. In 1954, Time Magazine wrote that Americans had “gained a new appreciation of the underpaid, long-suffering ordinary policeman” and their “first rudimentary understanding of real-life law enforcement.” M Squad came about in 1957 and centered on a squad of Chicago Police detectives. The episode "The Jumper" featured an officer taking bribes. It was reportedly this depiction that prompted then-Mayor Richard J. Daley to thereafter effectively banned motion picture and television from filming on location in Chicago for the rest of his administration and its aftermath. John Landis' successful 1980 musical comedy motion picture The Blues Brothers marked the reversal of that policy by Mayor Jane Byrne.
November 24, 1958
Helicopters Introduced to CPD
A “Flying Officer” reported traffic tie-ups and accidents from high above the city’s expressways and main arteries. Helicopters, developed for war, would later be famously used in high speed chases and SWAT raids, but also in surveilling & containing riots, demonstrations and other large events.
March 14, 1959
Jesse Mae Robinson Assaulted by CPD
This is an excerpt from "Where the Girls at? Invisibility and Police Violence" written by Mariame Kaba: "From her hospital bed in 1959, Jessie Mae Robinson recounted a story of violence to the police. Mrs. Robinson, owner of the New South Park Record Store, was arrested along with nearly 50 others when the police raided a party at a private home on March 14th. The raid conducted without a search warrant. All of the partygoers were taken to the Englewood police station where Mrs. Robinson said that the eight women who were among those arrested "were subjected to indignities" including physical assault and verbal abuse (i.e. being called racial epithets). Apparently the police officers who raided the party helped themselves to some beer while there and started drinking when they arrived at the station. Mrs. Robinson's injuries from her mistreatment were bad enough that she was hospitalized. She identified a Detective Franck Hackel as her chief tormentor. This is not an exceptional recounting of police treatment in the Black community, but given as a run-of-the-mill example of how police operate under open corruption with impunity."
1960's
January 1, 1960
Chicago Red Squad Launched
Spurred by the Cold War, the CPD "Red Squad" criminalized community organizations for their "radical or communist activities". By 1960, the Red Squad had information on approximately 117,000 Chicagoans, 141,000 out-of-towners, and 14,000 organizations. The Red Squad deployed a small army of 500 police officers augmented by 600 civilian informants, often paid for their services, and 250 occasional civilian informants. After the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the Red Squad expanded its targets from radical organizations like the Communist and Socialist Workers Parties to minority and reform organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Lawyers Guild, and Operation PUSH. The Red Squad didn't officially disband until 1982.
January 15, 1960
Summerdale Police Burglary Scandal
Eight officers from the Summerdale police district (now District 40) on Chicago's North Side were accused of operating a large-scale burglary ring. The Summerdale case dominated the local press, and became the biggest police-related scandal in the city's history at the time. This scandal was a leading cause of the creation of the Police Board.
February 1, 1960
Police Board Created
The Chicago Police Board is created to clean up and oversee the department and new superintendent, O. W. Wilson. However 1 year later, the Police Board shifted to a mostly symbolic role that it maintains to this day.
January 1, 1964
"Aggressive, Preventative Patrol"
Perhaps the most famous proponent of Stop-and-Frisk was Orlando W. Wilson. As Chicago’s superintendent of police in the 1960s, Wilson developed what he called “aggressive, preventive patrol.” He said it worked like “psychological warfare” against criminals because it “gives the impression of the police being everywhere.” Wilson modernized the department, looking to make it more efficient and rational. He introduced a system to distribute assigned patrol units to certain areas on particular nights of the year based on past crime data, added thousands of new squad cars to the force, and ordered his officers to patrol alone to maximize resources. In 1964, the department made 250,000 street stops. Many of these generated arrests. A year later, Chicago police arrested 75,000 people for disorderly conduct; over half were Black people.
Chicago Red Squad Launched
Spurred by the Cold War, the CPD "Red Squad" criminalized community organizations for their "radical or communist activities". By 1960, the Red Squad had information on approximately 117,000 Chicagoans, 141,000 out-of-towners, and 14,000 organizations. The Red Squad deployed a small army of 500 police officers augmented by 600 civilian informants, often paid for their services, and 250 occasional civilian informants. After the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the Red Squad expanded its targets from radical organizations like the Communist and Socialist Workers Parties to minority and reform organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Lawyers Guild, and Operation PUSH. The Red Squad didn't officially disband until 1982.
January 15, 1960
Summerdale Police Burglary Scandal
Eight officers from the Summerdale police district (now District 40) on Chicago's North Side were accused of operating a large-scale burglary ring. The Summerdale case dominated the local press, and became the biggest police-related scandal in the city's history at the time. This scandal was a leading cause of the creation of the Police Board.
February 1, 1960
Police Board Created
The Chicago Police Board is created to clean up and oversee the department and new superintendent, O. W. Wilson. However 1 year later, the Police Board shifted to a mostly symbolic role that it maintains to this day.
January 1, 1964
"Aggressive, Preventative Patrol"
Perhaps the most famous proponent of Stop-and-Frisk was Orlando W. Wilson. As Chicago’s superintendent of police in the 1960s, Wilson developed what he called “aggressive, preventive patrol.” He said it worked like “psychological warfare” against criminals because it “gives the impression of the police being everywhere.” Wilson modernized the department, looking to make it more efficient and rational. He introduced a system to distribute assigned patrol units to certain areas on particular nights of the year based on past crime data, added thousands of new squad cars to the force, and ordered his officers to patrol alone to maximize resources. In 1964, the department made 250,000 street stops. Many of these generated arrests. A year later, Chicago police arrested 75,000 people for disorderly conduct; over half were Black people.
June 12, 1966
CPD Shoots Arcelis Cruz A Chicago Police Officer named Thomas Munyan was chasing Arcelis Cruz, a 20-year-old Puerto Rican through an alley near Division and Damen in the Humboldt Park community. The officer shot Arcelis in the leg and the already tense community dealing with oppressive police brutality rushed to help Arcelis. The people were beaten back by the police, and the police violence incited 3 days of riots in the neighborhood. A year later in 1977, another uprising occurred after the police killings of two more young people, Rafael Cruz and Julio Osorio. |
August 1, 1966
March on Summerdale Police Station
Jobs or Income Now (JOIN), Goodfellows, United People and other groups in the Uptown area marched on Summerdale Police Station (formerly located at 1940 W. Foster Ave, District 40) with 3 demands: an end to police brutality, a citizen review board and removal of Sam Joseph, a particularly violent cop.
August 14, 1966
Retaliatory Police Raids
Two weeks after the march on the Summerdale Police Station, police raided JOIN's North Sheridan office, and the office of United People. Police destroyed the offices, confiscated paper work that they gave to the feds, and planted drugs leading to the arrests of 5 people, including a reverend.
August 16, 1966
Police Murder of Ronnie Williams
Two days after the police raids, a police officer murdered Ronnie Williams, the brother of an organizer with the Goodfellows. Witnesses said that after the officer shot Ronnie multiple times and Ronnie fell. The officer then approached and shot Ronnie in the head at point-blank range. As witnesses rushed up to demand an explanation, the officer was heard saying, "Just another dead hillbilly." Members of Goodfellows would go on to form the Young Patriots.
April 5, 1968
MLK Assassination
After MLK's assassination, approximately 10,500 police were sent to majority Black areas in Chicago, and by April 6, more than 6,700 Illinois National Guard troops arrived in Chicago. Mayor Richard J. Daley gave police the authority "to shoot to kill any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand ... and ... to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting any stores in our city." More than 48 hours of rioting left 48 wounded by police gunfire, over 500 injured, and 2,150 people arrested. Two miles of Lawndale on West Madison Street were left in a state of rubble. The South Side escaped the major chaos mainly because the two large street gangs, the Blackstone Rangers and the East Side Disciples, cooperated to control their neighborhoods. Many gang members did not participate in the rioting, due in part to King's direct involvement with these groups in 1966. Bulldozers moved in to clean up after the rioters, leaving behind vacant lots, many of which remain today. [Learn more]
April 27, 1968
Anti-War March and Police Riot
An anti-war march in Chicago organized by the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam ended with police beating many of the marchers, a precursor to the police riots later that year at the Democratic Convention.
August 29, 1968
Democratic National Convention
CPD joined forces with the National Guard in preparation for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley brought to bear 23,000 police and National Guardsman upon 10,000 protesters. The actions of the police came to be described as a police riot. Eight leading anti-war activists were indicted by the U.S. Attorney and prosecuted for conspiracy to riot; the convictions of the Chicago Seven were subsequently overturned on appeal.
March on Summerdale Police Station
Jobs or Income Now (JOIN), Goodfellows, United People and other groups in the Uptown area marched on Summerdale Police Station (formerly located at 1940 W. Foster Ave, District 40) with 3 demands: an end to police brutality, a citizen review board and removal of Sam Joseph, a particularly violent cop.
August 14, 1966
Retaliatory Police Raids
Two weeks after the march on the Summerdale Police Station, police raided JOIN's North Sheridan office, and the office of United People. Police destroyed the offices, confiscated paper work that they gave to the feds, and planted drugs leading to the arrests of 5 people, including a reverend.
August 16, 1966
Police Murder of Ronnie Williams
Two days after the police raids, a police officer murdered Ronnie Williams, the brother of an organizer with the Goodfellows. Witnesses said that after the officer shot Ronnie multiple times and Ronnie fell. The officer then approached and shot Ronnie in the head at point-blank range. As witnesses rushed up to demand an explanation, the officer was heard saying, "Just another dead hillbilly." Members of Goodfellows would go on to form the Young Patriots.
April 5, 1968
MLK Assassination
After MLK's assassination, approximately 10,500 police were sent to majority Black areas in Chicago, and by April 6, more than 6,700 Illinois National Guard troops arrived in Chicago. Mayor Richard J. Daley gave police the authority "to shoot to kill any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand ... and ... to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting any stores in our city." More than 48 hours of rioting left 48 wounded by police gunfire, over 500 injured, and 2,150 people arrested. Two miles of Lawndale on West Madison Street were left in a state of rubble. The South Side escaped the major chaos mainly because the two large street gangs, the Blackstone Rangers and the East Side Disciples, cooperated to control their neighborhoods. Many gang members did not participate in the rioting, due in part to King's direct involvement with these groups in 1966. Bulldozers moved in to clean up after the rioters, leaving behind vacant lots, many of which remain today. [Learn more]
April 27, 1968
Anti-War March and Police Riot
An anti-war march in Chicago organized by the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam ended with police beating many of the marchers, a precursor to the police riots later that year at the Democratic Convention.
August 29, 1968
Democratic National Convention
CPD joined forces with the National Guard in preparation for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley brought to bear 23,000 police and National Guardsman upon 10,000 protesters. The actions of the police came to be described as a police riot. Eight leading anti-war activists were indicted by the U.S. Attorney and prosecuted for conspiracy to riot; the convictions of the Chicago Seven were subsequently overturned on appeal.
September 16, 1968
Harrison High School Students Walk Out Sparked by the Principal's refusal to meet with students and discuss their desire for a better curriculum and a more representative teacher population at South Lawndale's Harrison High School, more than 500 students walked out, and after protesters felt the school's response was inadequate, approximately 1,000 walked out the next day. Sharron Matthews was the vice president of New Breed, a Black student group, and on September 18, she and New Breed president Victor Adams were suspended for their involvement. Adams, who was 18 at the time, was also arrested. [Learn More] |
May 4, 1969
Police Murder of Manuel Ramos Manuel was a 20-year-old member of the Young Lords Organization (YLO) in Chicago. On May 4, 1969, Manuel was shot and killed by a police officer outside of the apartment of another member of the Young Lords at 2 A.M. Another member of the Young Lords was wounded and four others were arrested. Manuel was unarmed at the time of his murder. As the details of the case surfaced, CPD did the best they could to cover up Manuel’s murder including trying to plant a weapon into evidence and claiming in the media that a police officer had been critically wounded in the incident. Both of these were exposed as lies soon after. |
May 9, 1969
"War on Gangs" Declared
“War on Gangs” declared by Mayor Richard J. Daley, a former member of a white gang, and State’s Attorney Edward Hanrahan, took aim at Black and Latino gangs. Fred Hampton spoke out about how Hanrahan's "war on gangs" was rhetoric used to enable him to carry out a "war on Black youth" at a time when Black gangs were starting to build political power like many white ethnic gangs before them.
"War on Gangs" Declared
“War on Gangs” declared by Mayor Richard J. Daley, a former member of a white gang, and State’s Attorney Edward Hanrahan, took aim at Black and Latino gangs. Fred Hampton spoke out about how Hanrahan's "war on gangs" was rhetoric used to enable him to carry out a "war on Black youth" at a time when Black gangs were starting to build political power like many white ethnic gangs before them.
December 4, 1969
Fred Hampton Murdered
CPD, FBI, & State's Attorney Hanrahan plotted the murder of Fred Hampton, Mark Clark, and other Black Panthers using an informant and automatic weapons. Chief of Panther security and Hampton's personal bodyguard, William O'Neal, was an FBI infiltrator and provided a detailed floor plan of the apartment that got to the State's Attorney's office shortly before the raid.
Fred Hampton Murdered
CPD, FBI, & State's Attorney Hanrahan plotted the murder of Fred Hampton, Mark Clark, and other Black Panthers using an informant and automatic weapons. Chief of Panther security and Hampton's personal bodyguard, William O'Neal, was an FBI infiltrator and provided a detailed floor plan of the apartment that got to the State's Attorney's office shortly before the raid.
1970's
February 1, 1970
Undercover Agents in Chicago
Illinois State Police Superintendent estimated that there were more than 1,000 federal, state, and local undercover agents located in Chicago by 1970.
May 2, 1972
Jon Burge Begins Reign of Terror
Jon Burge is promoted to detective and eventually Commander of Division 2 in Chicago. Burge, with the cooperation and active involvement of over 50 officers, tortured more than 118 people of color into false confessions using techniques Burge learned when serving in the military during Vietnam.
October 1, 1974
Red Squad Shreds Paper Trail
In the fall of 1974, the Red Squad destroyed 105,000 individual and 1,300 organizational files when it learned that the Alliance to End Repression was filing a lawsuit against the unit for violating the U.S. Constitution. The records that remain are housed at the Chicago Historical Society.
June 4, 1977
Second Division Street Rebellion
On June 4, 1977, a second rebellion on Division erupted after the cops murdered two youths, Rafael Cruz and Julio Osorio. Eighty-five people were injured by police, and 120 were arrested for their resistance. The Puerto Rican People’s Parade, which was first held in 1978, was created in response to these police murders, as well as a resurgence of Puerto Ricans taking up the issue of self-determination for Puerto Rico.
Undercover Agents in Chicago
Illinois State Police Superintendent estimated that there were more than 1,000 federal, state, and local undercover agents located in Chicago by 1970.
May 2, 1972
Jon Burge Begins Reign of Terror
Jon Burge is promoted to detective and eventually Commander of Division 2 in Chicago. Burge, with the cooperation and active involvement of over 50 officers, tortured more than 118 people of color into false confessions using techniques Burge learned when serving in the military during Vietnam.
October 1, 1974
Red Squad Shreds Paper Trail
In the fall of 1974, the Red Squad destroyed 105,000 individual and 1,300 organizational files when it learned that the Alliance to End Repression was filing a lawsuit against the unit for violating the U.S. Constitution. The records that remain are housed at the Chicago Historical Society.
June 4, 1977
Second Division Street Rebellion
On June 4, 1977, a second rebellion on Division erupted after the cops murdered two youths, Rafael Cruz and Julio Osorio. Eighty-five people were injured by police, and 120 were arrested for their resistance. The Puerto Rican People’s Parade, which was first held in 1978, was created in response to these police murders, as well as a resurgence of Puerto Ricans taking up the issue of self-determination for Puerto Rico.
1980's
January 1, 1981
Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force
Chicago Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) was formed. This is said to be in response to Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), a group of Puerto Rican nationalists fighting for independence. CTTF includes the Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service and the Illinois State Police. CTTF is still responsible for the investigation of all domestic terrorism in northern Illinois. CTTF is a part of the national Joint Terrorism Task Force program.
June 12, 1981 — April 8, 1982
Red Squad Disbanded
Federal Court decree ends the Chicago Police Department Red Squad’s unlawful surveillance of political dissenters and their organizations. Another lawsuit launched by the Committee to End Repression revealed that red squad members routinely "engaged in burglaries, thefts of property and money, blackmail, warrantless wiretaps, pretext raids, illegal arrests, [and] provocations."
August 4, 1984
The Terror of Joseph Miedzianowski
Joseph Miedzianowski of the Gang Crimes Unit is accused of assaulting Rev. Jorge Morales a political ally of Mayor Harold Washington. Miedzianowski said Morales was drinking from a bottle of wine outside his church and resisted arrest. Morales said Miedzianowski grabbed the wine from another man, broke it on the pavement and beat Morales when the minister asked him to clean up the broken glass. Combining the Morales case with another case of brutality involving Miedzianowski and his partner, Galligan, suspension was recommended, but the Police Board dismissed the charges of assault and falsifying evidence. Miedzianowski went on to be considered by some as the "most corrupt Chicago Police Officer" ever.
January 1, 1985
Special Operations Section
Special Operations Section (SOS) created to oversee SWAT, Helicopter, Dignitary Protection, amongst other specialized roles. Starting in the mid-1990's, SOS was headquartered in the Homan Square Police Annex (3340 W. Fillmore Avenue, 3rd floor).
Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force
Chicago Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) was formed. This is said to be in response to Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), a group of Puerto Rican nationalists fighting for independence. CTTF includes the Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service and the Illinois State Police. CTTF is still responsible for the investigation of all domestic terrorism in northern Illinois. CTTF is a part of the national Joint Terrorism Task Force program.
June 12, 1981 — April 8, 1982
Red Squad Disbanded
Federal Court decree ends the Chicago Police Department Red Squad’s unlawful surveillance of political dissenters and their organizations. Another lawsuit launched by the Committee to End Repression revealed that red squad members routinely "engaged in burglaries, thefts of property and money, blackmail, warrantless wiretaps, pretext raids, illegal arrests, [and] provocations."
August 4, 1984
The Terror of Joseph Miedzianowski
Joseph Miedzianowski of the Gang Crimes Unit is accused of assaulting Rev. Jorge Morales a political ally of Mayor Harold Washington. Miedzianowski said Morales was drinking from a bottle of wine outside his church and resisted arrest. Morales said Miedzianowski grabbed the wine from another man, broke it on the pavement and beat Morales when the minister asked him to clean up the broken glass. Combining the Morales case with another case of brutality involving Miedzianowski and his partner, Galligan, suspension was recommended, but the Police Board dismissed the charges of assault and falsifying evidence. Miedzianowski went on to be considered by some as the "most corrupt Chicago Police Officer" ever.
January 1, 1985
Special Operations Section
Special Operations Section (SOS) created to oversee SWAT, Helicopter, Dignitary Protection, amongst other specialized roles. Starting in the mid-1990's, SOS was headquartered in the Homan Square Police Annex (3340 W. Fillmore Avenue, 3rd floor).
1990's
January 1, 1992
CAPS Established
Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) is established as a "community-driven policing strategy" designed for the Chicago Police Department, aiming to bridge the gap between the police force and residents of Chicago.
February 10, 1993
Jon Burge Fired
Jon Burge finally fired after years of delays by the Office of Professional Standards and protests by Chicagoans. OPS only officially investigated one case of abuse, but determined that "the preponderance of evidence is that abuse did occur and that it was systematic." After Burge is fired he moves to Florida and is given a pension, which he still receives to this day.
January 1, 1994
COPS Program
Through Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Department of Justice starts giving grants to military veterans to serve on police forces around the country, including Chicago.
June 4, 1999
LaTanya Haggerty and Robert Russ murdered by CPD
LaTanya Haggerty and Robert Ross, two young Black people were shot to death by Chicago cops in two different traffic stops--within hours of each other. LaTanya Haggerty, 26, was catching a ride home from her downtown job as a computer analyst when a Chicago cop shot her--supposedly because she was holding a cell phone. Later that night, Robert Russ, 22, was driving along Chicago's lakefront, heading for his parents' suburban home. He was stopped by cops and shot in the heart along a deserted stretch of road. Russ was an honor student about to graduate in two weeks from Northwestern University and a football player on N.U.'s Big 10 championship team. His girlfriend was expecting their first child. Mayor Daley called for banning all tinted windows from Chicago and mandatory jail time for anyone who ignored police orders to step out of their car. Two city aldermen called for raising the height requirement for Chicago cops--saying that the cop who shot LaTanya was afraid because she was a small woman. The Police Department rejected calls to suspend the cops involved--and only re-assigned them temporarily to desk duty "during the investigations." Eventually the police officer who shot LaTanya was fired, but no charges were ever brought against her. Video cameras were subsequently placed in some police cars.
CAPS Established
Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) is established as a "community-driven policing strategy" designed for the Chicago Police Department, aiming to bridge the gap between the police force and residents of Chicago.
February 10, 1993
Jon Burge Fired
Jon Burge finally fired after years of delays by the Office of Professional Standards and protests by Chicagoans. OPS only officially investigated one case of abuse, but determined that "the preponderance of evidence is that abuse did occur and that it was systematic." After Burge is fired he moves to Florida and is given a pension, which he still receives to this day.
January 1, 1994
COPS Program
Through Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Department of Justice starts giving grants to military veterans to serve on police forces around the country, including Chicago.
June 4, 1999
LaTanya Haggerty and Robert Russ murdered by CPD
LaTanya Haggerty and Robert Ross, two young Black people were shot to death by Chicago cops in two different traffic stops--within hours of each other. LaTanya Haggerty, 26, was catching a ride home from her downtown job as a computer analyst when a Chicago cop shot her--supposedly because she was holding a cell phone. Later that night, Robert Russ, 22, was driving along Chicago's lakefront, heading for his parents' suburban home. He was stopped by cops and shot in the heart along a deserted stretch of road. Russ was an honor student about to graduate in two weeks from Northwestern University and a football player on N.U.'s Big 10 championship team. His girlfriend was expecting their first child. Mayor Daley called for banning all tinted windows from Chicago and mandatory jail time for anyone who ignored police orders to step out of their car. Two city aldermen called for raising the height requirement for Chicago cops--saying that the cop who shot LaTanya was afraid because she was a small woman. The Police Department rejected calls to suspend the cops involved--and only re-assigned them temporarily to desk duty "during the investigations." Eventually the police officer who shot LaTanya was fired, but no charges were ever brought against her. Video cameras were subsequently placed in some police cars.
2000's
July 19, 2000
Joseph Lopez Tortured by CPD
Joseph Lopez was held for 4 days and nights in an interrogation room with the lights on all the time, shackled to the wall most of the time. There was no place to sleep, or to relieve oneself and no access to running water or food. This is described by some as "soft" or "touchless" or psychological torture and is harder to prove than physical torture because of lack of physical wounds or scars.
March 20, 2003
Largest Mass Arrest in Chicago
As bombs were dropping over Baghdad, Iraq, thousands took over Lake Shore Drive in Chicago to resist the war and show their solidarity with the Iraqi people, resulting in police beatings and more than 800 arrests, the largest mass arrests in our city's history.
June 12, 2003
Jump Out Boys
The Enhanced Foot Patrol Unit (EFPU) was a unit within the Chicago Police Department known alternately as the "Jump Out Boys" and was assigned to the Special Operations Section of the Bureau of Operational Services. The unit is no longer active and it's unknown when it officially ceased its operations, though the current day "Impact Zone" policing is said to be a similar model to EFPU. The EFPU was created to "increase police visibility in high crime areas." Members of the unit would patrol "high crime areas" in a van, each staffed with one Field Training Officer and a group of Probationary Police Officers. The unit earned the nickname, "The Jump Out Boys" after being observed by citizens jumping from a police van and chasing people down.
June 15, 2003
Blue Light Cameras Introduced
In June of 2003, the Chicago Police began “Operation Disruption,” a multi-phased plan to install “blue-light” cameras in high crime areas. These cameras can rotate 360 degree and zoom into to a fine level of detail. They are bullet proof and can operate in any weather conditions. They record continuously and switch into night vision mode after dark. They are used to monitor street crimes and direct police deployment. In 2006, “Operation Disruption” gave way to “Operation Virtual Shield,” a scheme to create the most extensive and integrated video surveillance network in the United States. In January 2007, the city began installing these “blue light cameras” outside at least 20 high schools. Under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the city has added 500 and now has an integrated system of 22,000 cameras citywide. This system includes the “blue-light” street cameras as well as cameras on CTA trains, buses, and public transit stations and cameras installed on public buildings such as schools and Chicago Housing Authority facilities. As part of “Operation Virtual Shield,” the city upgraded cameras to incorporate facial recognition and “automatic tracking” or the ability to follow a person or vehicle from one camera to the next. The data from these cameras is wirelessly transmitted to the Chicago Crime Prevention Center (originally Deployment Operations Center), which also can individually control any camera. Video is also monitored by officers in District stations, by selected school unit officers patrolling POD areas by vehicle, and personnel at the City’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications Center (OEMC). For this reason, Chicago is considered to have the most extensive and integrated camera system of any city in the United States. The cost of the program was $217 million.
July 2003–August 18, 2011
Targeted Response Unit
Targeted Response Unit was a division of the Special Operations Section and was used to "put cops on the dots," flooding neighborhoods where gang activity occurred or was supposedly about to occur. This unit was deployed based on information from the Deployment Operations Center. Another way to imagine this is an increasingly militaristic police raid on a neighborhood. This continued the policy of historically reactive policing strategies and gave police power and discretion that lead to major corruption. For the majority of its existence TRU was headquartered in the notorious Homan Square Police Annex (3340 W. Fillmore) this may or may not imply that the DOC was also located at Homan Square.
Joseph Lopez Tortured by CPD
Joseph Lopez was held for 4 days and nights in an interrogation room with the lights on all the time, shackled to the wall most of the time. There was no place to sleep, or to relieve oneself and no access to running water or food. This is described by some as "soft" or "touchless" or psychological torture and is harder to prove than physical torture because of lack of physical wounds or scars.
March 20, 2003
Largest Mass Arrest in Chicago
As bombs were dropping over Baghdad, Iraq, thousands took over Lake Shore Drive in Chicago to resist the war and show their solidarity with the Iraqi people, resulting in police beatings and more than 800 arrests, the largest mass arrests in our city's history.
June 12, 2003
Jump Out Boys
The Enhanced Foot Patrol Unit (EFPU) was a unit within the Chicago Police Department known alternately as the "Jump Out Boys" and was assigned to the Special Operations Section of the Bureau of Operational Services. The unit is no longer active and it's unknown when it officially ceased its operations, though the current day "Impact Zone" policing is said to be a similar model to EFPU. The EFPU was created to "increase police visibility in high crime areas." Members of the unit would patrol "high crime areas" in a van, each staffed with one Field Training Officer and a group of Probationary Police Officers. The unit earned the nickname, "The Jump Out Boys" after being observed by citizens jumping from a police van and chasing people down.
June 15, 2003
Blue Light Cameras Introduced
In June of 2003, the Chicago Police began “Operation Disruption,” a multi-phased plan to install “blue-light” cameras in high crime areas. These cameras can rotate 360 degree and zoom into to a fine level of detail. They are bullet proof and can operate in any weather conditions. They record continuously and switch into night vision mode after dark. They are used to monitor street crimes and direct police deployment. In 2006, “Operation Disruption” gave way to “Operation Virtual Shield,” a scheme to create the most extensive and integrated video surveillance network in the United States. In January 2007, the city began installing these “blue light cameras” outside at least 20 high schools. Under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the city has added 500 and now has an integrated system of 22,000 cameras citywide. This system includes the “blue-light” street cameras as well as cameras on CTA trains, buses, and public transit stations and cameras installed on public buildings such as schools and Chicago Housing Authority facilities. As part of “Operation Virtual Shield,” the city upgraded cameras to incorporate facial recognition and “automatic tracking” or the ability to follow a person or vehicle from one camera to the next. The data from these cameras is wirelessly transmitted to the Chicago Crime Prevention Center (originally Deployment Operations Center), which also can individually control any camera. Video is also monitored by officers in District stations, by selected school unit officers patrolling POD areas by vehicle, and personnel at the City’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications Center (OEMC). For this reason, Chicago is considered to have the most extensive and integrated camera system of any city in the United States. The cost of the program was $217 million.
July 2003–August 18, 2011
Targeted Response Unit
Targeted Response Unit was a division of the Special Operations Section and was used to "put cops on the dots," flooding neighborhoods where gang activity occurred or was supposedly about to occur. This unit was deployed based on information from the Deployment Operations Center. Another way to imagine this is an increasingly militaristic police raid on a neighborhood. This continued the policy of historically reactive policing strategies and gave police power and discretion that lead to major corruption. For the majority of its existence TRU was headquartered in the notorious Homan Square Police Annex (3340 W. Fillmore) this may or may not imply that the DOC was also located at Homan Square.
June 20, 2006
Jon Burge Report Released Four years after the start of the only official investigation of Jon Burge since he was fired, the "Jon Burge report" is made public and reveals systematic torture. The Office of Professional Standards delayed releasing the report until after the statute of limitations to prosecute Burge on torture charges passed. Lawyer Joey Mogul took the findings to the United Nations. Stan Willis spearheads a call for reparations to torture survivors and their families. |
February 19, 2007
Police Officer Beating of Karolina Obrycka
In February of 2007, Anthony Abbate was recorded assaulting a Karolina Obrycka because she wouldn't serve him any more drinks. After the incident, Abbate tried to cover up what he did and offered Karolina hush money. Further controversy arose when Abbate was allowed to enter his courtroom hearing through a side door, in order to shield himself from the press. Allegations surfaced that the police ticketed the vehicles of news organizations and threatened reporters with arrest. In the wake of this, and another similar scandal involving another videotaped police beating at a bar, Superintendent Cline announced his retirement on April 2, 2007. Daley then announced a plan to create an "independent" police review authority to replace the oversight of the Office of Professional Standards, which was under the jurisdiction of the police department.
September 5, 2007
Independent Police Review Authority Created
IPRA is created, replacing the Office of Professional Standards (OPS). The Authority is appointed by the mayor. Conviction rates of officers stay the same after the installment of IPRA, confirming that the difference between IPRA and OPS is inconsequential.
December 1, 2007
Crime Prevention and Information Center Created
Crime Prevention and Information Center (CPIC) created as a fusion center that is staffed 24/7 to receive notifications of “any significant or newsworthy event occurring within the city," as well as watching thousands of cameras around the city and sending information to police, the JTTF and others. This replaces the Deployment Operation Center. According to the police department website CPIC is located at Police HQ (3500 S. Michigan).
December 22, 2008
CPD Buys Stingrays
1st of at least 2 Stingrays (or IMSI Catcher) purchased by CPD, that act as a cell phone tower and can intercept cell phone data (including calls and other phone activity) at close range. Very little is known about use of Stingrays because police departments sign a non-disclosure agreement when purchasing them from the Harris Corporation. CPD is accused of using their stingray during anti-police brutality protests. There is an ongoing lawsuit to reveal more information about CPD use of IMSI catchers.
August 1, 2010
Wiretapping Law Used to Suppress Recordings of Police Abuse
In August 2010, Tiawanda Moore had criminal wiretapping charges brought against her for secretly recording police officers with her BlackBerry when she was filing a complaint for sexual harassment. She was found not guilty a year later. Finally, in March 2014, the wiretapping law was declared unconstitutional by the Illinois Supreme Court.
September 24, 2010
Chicago Terrorism Task Force Raids
Raids were executed by the CTTF locally & the Joint Terrorism Task Force nationally. The search warrants focused on obtaining information from computers and other sources of alleged "facilitation of other individuals in the United States to travel to Colombia, Palestine, and any other foreign location in support of foreign terrorist organizations including but not limited to FARC, PFLP and Hezbollah." The information collected in these raids led to the eventual 2014 arrest of Rasmea Odeh in Chicago.
January 21, 2011
Burge Serves 3.5 Years
Burge sentenced to 4.5 years on obstruction of justice & perjury for lying while under oath. He was released to a half way home in 2014 a year early.
March 29, 2011
Cops Incite Gang Rivalry to Intimidate Youth
Two Police officers are caught on camera inciting gang rivalry. Two years later, both were fired. The guilty charges included unlawfully restraining a youth, transporting him without a valid police purpose to the turf of a gang that would threaten him, and making a false statement about the incident to an Internal Affairs detective.
May 13, 2012
Long Range Acoustic Device Purchased
CPD purchases 2 LRAD units costing $20,000 each in preparation for the NATO Summit. The technology was originally developed for the military and can cause permanent damage within anywhere from 0-100 meters of the device.
May 14, 2012
NATO 5
CPD Organized Crime Division arrests 5 NATO protesters and charges them with material support for terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorism. Chicago received over $19 million from the federal government for security during the NATO conference. The NATO 5 are detained at Homan Square without access to a lawyer when first arrested.
June 11, 2012
IL RICO Act Signed
Gov. Pat Quinn signed the Illinois Street Gang RICO Act, which gives state’s attorneys similar powers to the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. This heightened sentencing for what was deemed "gang activity" and allowed pursuit of gang leaders for the actions of their members.
March 21, 2012
Police Murder of Rekia Boyd On March 21, 2012, off-duty Chicago police officer Dante Servin drove into the alley from the driveway of his home in Douglass Park after making a noise complaint. Servin eventually confronted the group in the alley about the noise. After words were exchanged between Servin and an individual in the group, the group turned to walk away. Servin took his gun out and shot at the group five times. Servin struck Rekia in the head. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, and died the next day. Servin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless discharge of a firearm, and reckless conduct, however, he was acquitted in 2015. Servin resigned in 2016, and Rekia's family was given a $4.5 million dollar death settlement. Servin still has his pension. |
November 13, 2012
"Widespread Code of Silence"
A federal jury found that a "widespread code of silence" within the Chicago Police Department had allowed Anthony Abbate to feel that he could attack Karolina Obrycka in 2007 without fear of reprisal. They also found that Abbate participated in a conspiracy to cover up the attack. The jury awarded Obrycka $850,000 in damages.
December 31, 2012
2012 Police Murders
In all of 2012, CPD shot 57 people. 50 of those individuals were Black.
February 2, 2013
John Hubbard Dies at CPD "Shadow Site"
CPD operates what they call a "shadow site" at Homan Square since the 1990s. It is described by others as the CPD analog to a CIA black site. Alleged police practices at Homan Square include: Keeping arrestees out of official booking databases. Beating by police, resulting in head wounds. Shackling for prolonged periods. Denying attorneys access to the “secure” facility. Holding people without legal counsel for between 12 and 24 hours, including people as young as 15.
May 7, 2014
Police Murder of Dominique "Damo" Franklin
23-year-old Dominique "Damo" Franklin is tased to death by CPD. A police officer used a Taser on Damo while trying to arrest him for retail theft. His death spawned the creation of one of Chicago’s most impactful groups, We Charge Genocide.
October 20, 2014
Police Murder of Laquan McDonald
CPD Officer Jason Van Dyke shoots and kills 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times near 41st Street and Pulaski Road. A year later, Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder. Hours later, the city releases the police dash cam video that captured Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times, and protests erupt in the Loop. Van Dyke is indicted on six counts of first-degree murder and one count of official misconduct. In 2018, Van Dyke is found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery. He is found not guilty of official misconduct.
November 9, 2014
CPD Visits Israel
Top CPD officials, including Superintendent McCarthy, attend Israel’s International Homeland Security Conference for 3rd time in recent years. This trip (and the previous ones) were sponsored by the Jewish United Fund (JUF). McCarthy stated "it is clearer than ever that such cooperation must increasingly happen on the international level, particularly when combating the threat of terrorism" and "our community should feel secure knowing that the relationships in Chicago and Cook County between homeland security, law enforcement, emergency management and JUF is a testament to the strong relationships, common interests and shared concerns of everyone."
November 14, 2014
We Charge Genocide
Following the legacy of the original 1951 petition, We Charge Genocide, formed in Chicago in response to Damo's murder by police, submitted a report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture, "Police Violence Against Chicago’s Youth of Color." The report reveals the disturbing and intolerable truth that police officers regularly engage in torture. Specifically, the Chicago Police Department is in violation of Articles 2, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 of the Convention of Torture, through the cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of youth of color in Chicago.'
"Widespread Code of Silence"
A federal jury found that a "widespread code of silence" within the Chicago Police Department had allowed Anthony Abbate to feel that he could attack Karolina Obrycka in 2007 without fear of reprisal. They also found that Abbate participated in a conspiracy to cover up the attack. The jury awarded Obrycka $850,000 in damages.
December 31, 2012
2012 Police Murders
In all of 2012, CPD shot 57 people. 50 of those individuals were Black.
February 2, 2013
John Hubbard Dies at CPD "Shadow Site"
CPD operates what they call a "shadow site" at Homan Square since the 1990s. It is described by others as the CPD analog to a CIA black site. Alleged police practices at Homan Square include: Keeping arrestees out of official booking databases. Beating by police, resulting in head wounds. Shackling for prolonged periods. Denying attorneys access to the “secure” facility. Holding people without legal counsel for between 12 and 24 hours, including people as young as 15.
May 7, 2014
Police Murder of Dominique "Damo" Franklin
23-year-old Dominique "Damo" Franklin is tased to death by CPD. A police officer used a Taser on Damo while trying to arrest him for retail theft. His death spawned the creation of one of Chicago’s most impactful groups, We Charge Genocide.
October 20, 2014
Police Murder of Laquan McDonald
CPD Officer Jason Van Dyke shoots and kills 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times near 41st Street and Pulaski Road. A year later, Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder. Hours later, the city releases the police dash cam video that captured Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times, and protests erupt in the Loop. Van Dyke is indicted on six counts of first-degree murder and one count of official misconduct. In 2018, Van Dyke is found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery. He is found not guilty of official misconduct.
November 9, 2014
CPD Visits Israel
Top CPD officials, including Superintendent McCarthy, attend Israel’s International Homeland Security Conference for 3rd time in recent years. This trip (and the previous ones) were sponsored by the Jewish United Fund (JUF). McCarthy stated "it is clearer than ever that such cooperation must increasingly happen on the international level, particularly when combating the threat of terrorism" and "our community should feel secure knowing that the relationships in Chicago and Cook County between homeland security, law enforcement, emergency management and JUF is a testament to the strong relationships, common interests and shared concerns of everyone."
November 14, 2014
We Charge Genocide
Following the legacy of the original 1951 petition, We Charge Genocide, formed in Chicago in response to Damo's murder by police, submitted a report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture, "Police Violence Against Chicago’s Youth of Color." The report reveals the disturbing and intolerable truth that police officers regularly engage in torture. Specifically, the Chicago Police Department is in violation of Articles 2, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 of the Convention of Torture, through the cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of youth of color in Chicago.'
May 6, 2015
Reparations Ordinance Passed
City Council agrees to pay a total of $5.5 million in "reparations" to victims of torture by Burge and his detectives. The settlement adds to a total, at the time, of more than $100 million the city paid in losing or settling Burge-related lawsuits.
January 4, 2016
Police Murder of Darius Pinex
A federal judge accuses a City Hall lawyer of hiding evidence in the fatal police shooting of a Black man named Darius Pinex during a 2011 traffic stop, and tosses out a jury's ruling in a wrongful death lawsuit that the shooting was justified. The city subsequently settles a lawsuit filed by the family of Darius Pinex for about $2 million.
January 13, 2017
"Excessive Use of Force"
The Department of Justice investigation concludes that the Chicago Police Department is beset by widespread racial bias, excessive use of force, poor training, and inefficient oversight of officers accused of misconduct.
Reparations Ordinance Passed
City Council agrees to pay a total of $5.5 million in "reparations" to victims of torture by Burge and his detectives. The settlement adds to a total, at the time, of more than $100 million the city paid in losing or settling Burge-related lawsuits.
January 4, 2016
Police Murder of Darius Pinex
A federal judge accuses a City Hall lawyer of hiding evidence in the fatal police shooting of a Black man named Darius Pinex during a 2011 traffic stop, and tosses out a jury's ruling in a wrongful death lawsuit that the shooting was justified. The city subsequently settles a lawsuit filed by the family of Darius Pinex for about $2 million.
January 13, 2017
"Excessive Use of Force"
The Department of Justice investigation concludes that the Chicago Police Department is beset by widespread racial bias, excessive use of force, poor training, and inefficient oversight of officers accused of misconduct.