Chicago’s ugly history of police torture

June 16, 2015

Despite a historic reparation package for survivors of police abuse, some say it isn’t enough

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Chicago’s ugly history of police torture

For almost 20 years, former Chicago police Commander Jon Burge and his "midnight" crew of detectives tortured scores of people, forcing them to confess to crimes. After mounting pressure from activists, Chicago recently became the first city in the nation to approve a reparations bill for victims of police abuse and torture. While the reparations could serve as a model for police accountability across the nation, critics say they don't go far enough, and that they're a band aid on a problem that still persists to this day. In this excerpt from America Tonight, Lisa Fletcher speaks with alleged victims of police torture, the journalist who exposed Burge and the City Council member who sponsored the reparations bill to examine whether this ugly chapter is truly in the city’s past.


 

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