A group of Chicago police officers systematically tortured suspects in the '70s and '80s, but the alleged crimes are too old to prosecute, according to a special prosecutor's report released today.
Concluding a four-year investigation, prosecutors say Cmdr. John Burge and four officers under his authority used violence to get confessions from African-American suspects.
The report says the officers, who are white, electrocuted suspects, beat them, played mock Russian roulette, and in at least one case, suffocated a suspect with a plastic typewriter cover.
Prosecutors say they investigated more than 100 complaints against Burge and his officers. Three of those cases warranted criminal charges.
"There are cases, which we believe would justify our seeking indictments for mistreatment of prisoners by Chicago police officers," prosecutor Robert Boyle said.
The statute of limitations on those alleged crimes, however, has since run out.
"We have considered every possible legal theory that would permit us to avoid the effect of the statute of limitations on any prosecution," prosecutors said, but, "regrettably, we have concluded that the statute of limitations would bar any prosecution of any offenses our investigation disclosed."
Burge was fired in 1993 for the torture of Andrew Wilson. Wilson, who was convicted of murdering two police officers in 1982, said that Burge and two other detectives had electrocuted and beat him.
Burge was never charged with any crime. He is currently living in Florida and collecting a full police pension. His lawyer says Burge is innocent.
Burge's alleged activities changed the way Illinois punishes its most serious crimes.
After evidence showed that police had tortured death-row inmates into making false confessions, former Gov. George Ryan suspended capital punishment in Illinois and cleared death row.
The prosecutor's report criticized then-police Superintendent Richard Brzecek, calling his response to the torture allegations a "dereliction of duty."
