Posted on 09/09/2006 9:36:27 AM PDT by ncountylee
CHICAGO - Four officers used their police badges and authority to "terrorize and steal" from Chicago residents, a prosecutor said Friday as the officers made their first court appearances on charges including armed violence and home invasion.
One officer is accused of wrongfully entering a man's house, breaking into his safe and stealing a rookie card of baseball legend Mickey Mantle. Other incidents involve the theft of cash and jewelry never documented in police reports.
Prosecutors said the officers targeted Hispanics and often would file drug charges against their victims, but then fail to appear in court, causing the charges to be dismissed.
During the investigation, one officer was secretly recorded promising he would not testify against one of his alleged victims and vowing with a profanity to hurt another man who could be a witness.
"I'll ... knock him out today dude," officer Keith Herrera was recorded saying, prosecutors said.
Cook County Judge Matthew Coghlan set bond for the four officers at amounts ranging from $1.5 million to $3 million. Wearing street clothes and looking stoic, they all appeared via closed circuit television during the hearing.
The officers are Herrera, 28; Jerome Finnigan, 43; Thomas Sherry, 32; and Carl Suchocki, 32, all of Chicago. The charges involve 11 incidents dating back to June 2003.
(Excerpt) Read more at southernillinoisan.com ...
Isn't Fitz supposed to be working on Chicago corruption?
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