Heather Cherone

Michael Williams, then 65, spent nearly a year in jail after being charged with murder — only for prosecutors to agree to dismiss the charges, telling a Cook County judge they did not have enough evidence to proceed. @wttw.bsky.social

Chicago’s Watchdog Says City Lawyers Withheld Records About ‘High-Profile’ Hires It was “improper” for the department led by Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry to refuse to provide those records to the Office of the Inspector General, Deborah Witzburg said in a statement.

BREAKING: Chicago’s Department of Law refused to provide records about the hiring of “high-profile” city employees to the city’s watchdog in violation of city law and a federal court order, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg revealed in a report released Wednesday. @wttw.bsky.social

A Chicago Man Was Charged With Murder Based on a ShotSpotter Alert. Now the City Will Pay Him $500K Michael Williams, then 65, spent nearly a year in jail after being charged with murder, only to have the charges dismissed after prosecutors told a judge they did not have enough evidence to proceed t...

NEW: Chicago taxpayers will pay $500,000 to resolve a lawsuit filed by a man who was charged with a murder in 2020 based on an alert from the city’s now-defunct gunshot detection system, according to court records. @wttw.bsky.social

These U.S. soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait over the weekend.

They are Capt. Cody Khork, 35
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39
Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42
Sgt. Declan Coady, 20

Two others were killed in the same attack; their names have not yet been released.

RIP.

Key City Panel Rejects Push to Punish Parents If Their Kids Violate Curfew, Other Laws The proposal called for parents to face jail time if their children “violate curfew, engage in drag racing, flipping of cars, intoxication or use of paintball guns.”

BREAKING: A key City Council panel voted 10-5 on Tuesday to reject a proposal designed to hold parents accountable if their children violate the city’s curfew or a host of other laws. @wttw.bsky.social

May 2024: Police Board member agrees with Snelling, Ball suspended one (1) day for June 2021 shooting
July 2025: COPA rules May 2022 shooting unjustified, urges Ball be fired
Nov. 2025: Supt. Snelling agrees to fire Ball for May 2022 shooting (2/2)

A timeline:
June 2021: Officer Noah Ball shoots at a man (no one is injured)
May 2022: Ball shoots a 13-year-old boy fleeing a traffic stop, paralyzing him
June 2023: COPA rules June 2021 shooting unjustified, urges Ball be fired
Sept. 2023: Supt. Snelling rules June 2021 shooting justified (1/2)

TONIGHT: Cook County Board President Preckwinkle and Ald. Brendan Reilly will join WTTW News for a half-hour candidate forum for the democratic nomination for Cook County Board President. Tune in at 5:30 and 10:30 p.m.

Top Cop Agrees to Fire Officer Who Shot 13-Year-Old Boy Without Justification, Leaving Him Paralyzed The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that the shooting was unjustified, and Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling agreed, according to records published Friday.

NEW: The Chicago police officer who shot a 13-year-old boy in May 2022, leaving him permanently paralyzed, should be fired, the agency tasked with investigating police misconduct and Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling agreed, records show. @wttw.bsky.social

An Incarcerated Pregnant Woman in Illinois Was Forced Into Induced Labor, Lawsuit Alleges “Just because we are going through something with our criminal past does not have anything to do with our reproductive rights,” said Amy Hicks, who was previously incarcerated at Logan Correctional Ce...

An incarcerated pregnant woman in Illinois was forced into induced labor, a lawsuit alleges. Prison employees told her that an induction of labor scheduled by officials was the policy for all those pregnant — regardless of individual medical need or consent, it states.

news.wttw.com/2026/03/02/i...

The correct answer:

What’s your favorite Chicago-set TV show? Your response could be included in our newsletter, the Daily Chicagoan.

Subscribe here: to.wttw.com/4axsYlD

*touches earpiece*

“Since 2015 the Chicago Law Dept. has paid more than $3.1 million in more than 200 public records, litigation cases involving the police department”

Chicago has spent gobs of public dollars to lawyers who hold them accountable when they illegally stonewall access to public records #FOIA

A PR Push on the Public Dime: Chicago Police Podcast Records Peel Back Layers of Expanded Communication Costs Podcasts are a new avenue for police to reach the communities they serve. A monthslong public records battle with CPD identifies the cost of the podcast “Roll Call.” It is the latest evidence of the h...

"One reviewer ... wrote that as a taxpayer, 'This is an embarrassing and shallow PR Stunt to cover from the department’s long history of failing to protect the residents of this great city. A shameful boondoggle.'" @jaredrutecki.bsky.social reports for @wttw.bsky.social

Jury Finds CPD Officers Used Excessive Force During Botched 2018 Raid, Awards $5.7M to Family The jury found that nine CPD officers acted improperly and used excessive force against Ebony Tate, her mother and four children on Aug. 9, 2018, when a CPD SWAT team set off flash-bang grenades outsi...

9 CPD officers acted improperly and used excessive force against Ebony Tate, her mother, Cynthia Eason, and four children on Aug. 9, 2018, when they broke down the door of their apartment and pointed assault rifles directly at the children, the federal jury decided. @wttw.bsky.social

Jury Finds CPD Officers Used Excessive Force During Botched 2018 Raid, Awards $5.7M to Family The eight-member jury found that nine CPD officers acted improperly and used excessive force against Ebony Tate, her mother, Cynthia Eason, and four children on Aug. 9, 2018, when a CPD SWAT team set ...

BREAKING: A federal jury ordered the city of Chicago on Wednesday to pay $5.7 million to a family with four children, determining that a botched 2018 Chicago Police raid of their Back of the Yards apartment violated their civil rights. @wttw.bsky.social

A PR Push on the Public Dime: Chicago Police Podcast Records Peel Back Layers of Expanded Communication Costs Podcasts are a new avenue for police to reach the communities they serve. A monthslong public records battle with CPD identifies the cost of the podcast “Roll Call.” It is the latest evidence of the h...

NEW: CPD's 2026 budget sets aside more than $2.75M for its communications effort, which includes a podcast designed to reshape the department’s public image.
That's an increase of more than 700% over a decade, @jaredrutecki.bsky.social reports for @wttw.bsky.social

✊

It is a civil case. Read before commenting, please.

The DOJ investigation looked at other parts of CPD's operations, just not *specifically* how SWAT teams operated or search warrants were served. Search warrants became part of the consent decree (prompted by that probe) in 2022

Jury Weighs Whether CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ Led to Botched Raid That Traumatized 4 Kids A jury is now deciding whether CPD officers traumatized Ebony Tate, her mother and four children on Aug. 9, 2018, when a CPD SWAT team set off flashbang grenades outside the family’s apartment before ...

The jury in this case deliberated for about 90 minutes yesterday, and started at 9 a.m. today.
They've sent one note so far: they'd like a table of contents of the *voluminous* evidence they are considering. Both sides agree to make that happen. @wttw.bsky.social

Chicago Police Department Overspent Its Budget By $501M Over 5 Years: Data Allowing CPD to spend unlimited sums of taxpayer money is a “crazy way to run a city,” said Justin Marlowe, a professor in the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, and the director of...

It is part of CPD’s budget, but the amount of settlements does not reduce what CPD spends. news.wttw.com/2025/11/05/c...

Chicago Police Department Overspent Its Budget By $501M Over 5 Years: Data Allowing CPD to spend unlimited sums of taxpayer money is a “crazy way to run a city,” said Justin Marlowe, a professor in the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, and the director of...

It is part of CPD’s budget, but the amount of settlements does not reduce what CPD spends. news.wttw.com/2025/11/05/c...

What's your favorite touristy thing to do in Chicago?

Your response could be included in our newsletter, the Daily Chicagoan.

Subscribe here: http://to.wttw.com/4axsYlD

Jury Weighs Whether CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’ Led to Botched Raid That Traumatized 4 Kids A jury is now deciding whether CPD officers traumatized Ebony Tate, her mother and four children on Aug. 9, 2018, when a CPD SWAT team set off flashbang grenades outside the family’s apartment before ...

NEW: A federal jury began deliberating Tuesday about whether a “code of silence” among Chicago Police Department officers led to a botched August 2018 raid of a Back of the Yards apartment that violated the civil rights of a family with four children. @wttw.bsky.social

Sarah Jessica Parker will be Northwestern’s commencement speaker Actress Sarah Jessica Parker will deliver the graduation commencement speech in June for Northwestern’s Class of 2026.

I couldn't help but wonder ... y tho?

The constitution says pension benefits "shall not be diminished or impaired" for any reason.
The one exception: when officers are convicted of a felony “relating to or arising out of or in connection with” their official duties. But that is ... rare.

Crista Noel, founder of the Women's All Points Bulletin, says CPD’s slow progress is the result of the institution’s deep roots and pre-established norms.

“You can’t change 200 years worth of racism in seven years, it’s going to take a while.” she said.

https://to.wttw.com/3OHo90g

That would violate the Illinois constitution.