Criminal Justice & Public Safety

The family of a 22-year-old who was fatally shot by a Cicero police officer will receive $3.1 million from the suburb. Next to the victim’s dead body was the .38 caliber revolver that a Cook County judge turned in to a Chicago gun buyback years earlier.

A Cook County judge turned a gun in to Chicago police as part of a buyback program 13 years ago. The gun mysteriously turned up eight years later next to the body of a young man shot to death by a Cicero police officer. Cicero officials are now poised to write a $3.5 million settlement check to members of the dead man’s family.

A handful of Illinois park districts operate taxpayer-funded police forces separate from the regular police departments that already patrol the same communities. With badges sometimes handed to the well-connected, the practice raises questions of redundancy, liability, nepotism and expense.

Double shooting, mob beatdown spurs closing of Will’s Sports Bar, which was previously identified in BGA report.

Officer John Poulos also shot and killed alleged burglar in 2013, an incident explored in detail by the watchdog group in May.

Eight-year vet of police force seen on camera slapping man in genital area. Officer was previously suspended after a sexual assault allegation.

Video is released eight days after the death of Chicago teen.

Police called to late-night Burnham bar more than 800 times in six years. Village’s top cop says Will’s Sports Bar is ‘bad for the community and dangerous for police officers.’

But officer may have been gone anyway – the police department recently recommended that she and partner be fired for lying about shooting case.

Sister of man killed in 2013 by off-duty Chicago cop sues, challenges official version, wants feds to look at case.