To say the least, the allegations are not good for the Chicago Police Department’s reputation.
By Natasha Korecki
Chicago Sun-Times
TAMPA, Fla. – Former Police Cmdr. Jon Burge – who has cast a long shadow over the Chicago Police Department because of accusations he tortured suspects for two decades – was arrested this morning on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
It was long believed Burge could not be prosecuted because of the statute of limitations. But the FBI arrested Burge, 60, at his retirement home near Tampa for allegedly lying about whether he and other officers under his command tortured suspects dating back to the 1980s.
The charges are based on written answers Burge gave in a civil lawsuit against him in 2003, 10 years after he was fired from the department. Burge insisted he never observed nor used any torture techniques – including cattle prods, bags over suspects’ heads and a “black box” that administered electric shocks.
“I have never used any techniques set forth above as a means of improper coercion of suspects while in detention or during interrogation,” Burge wrote.
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