mary mitchell
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow sentenced Jon Burge to 4½ years in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with the systematic torture of African-American suspects in the 1970s and 1980s.
The sentencing of the former police commander closes an ugly chapter of Chicago’s history but does not in itself foster healing between the African-American community and the Chicago Police Department.
Anthony Holmes, one of Burge’s accusers, raised the question that needs to be answered before any real healing can take place.
“Why did you do this? You were supposed to be the law,” Holmes asked, reading from a written statement during the sentencing hearing.
Burge didn’t give an answer.
But it is clear from the long line of African-American suspects who accused Burge of torture, and were later exonerated, that race and status had a lot to do with the abuse.
via Burge’s sentence not enough to foster healing – Chicago Sun-Times.
RichardWanke.Com 