An off-duty Markham Police Officer Leeotis Larry, 25, shot 3 robbery suspects when he and a friend, Officer Zakiya Wesinger, 28, went to look at a car advertised on Craig’s list. The robbers attacked the officer with a baseball bat and he defended himself, protecting the public from further attacks by these criminals. Ofc. Larry may have saved his friend’s life when he mouthed a warning to her to stay back as they were lured into an alley. He said his “nerves kicked in” and he lifted his shirt to have better access to his gun. http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/07/multiple-shooting-reported-on-south-side.html
Over three days in police custody, Michael Tillman was beaten with a phone book, punched in the face and stomach until he vomited blood, had a plastic bag put over his head and 7 Up poured into his nose in a crude form of waterboarding, a court petition says.
The only evidence was his confession which was extracted from him by the above methods of torture. Burge has still not been punished for his crimes. Mayor Daley was States Attorney and he and his staff allegedly after torture sessions came into the detainees holding cell, wrote out the “confessions” and had the prisoners sign them.
The Appellate Court said that the confession was “enough” evidence and denied the appeal of this conviction for the torture and murder of Betty Howard. Police had arrested Clarence Trotter who had Betty’s possessions with him and left fingerprints.
The Sun Times has a detailed article about all this and present attempts to exonerate and free Tillman. The People’s Law Office and Northwestern MacArthur Justice Center are litigating to bring this innocent man justice and life. He is presently serving a life sentence and his two children have now grown up without him.:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1678441,CST-NWS-burge22.article
Former Cmd. Jon Burge of the Chicago Police is awaiting trail on perjury and obstruction of justice as the statute of limitations ran out on his other crimes. He is accussed of torturing dozens of prisoners into confessing by suffocation, electricity, crude waterboarding, and brutal beatings. The man does not deserve to be free. Dozens of inmates have already been freed but many remain wrongfully imprisoned.
I call on the legislature to pass a bill granting all of these people remaining in prison new trials and Gov. Quinn to make it a priority to review the cases of those remaining in prison for clemency/pardons for actual innocence.
I call upon the Illinois Appellate Court to sue sponte reverse their decision because “confession” under torture is not enough to convict especially when another man is caught with clear cut evidence. The Illinois Appellate Court will forever be in disrepute until they admit their error and correct it. We need a strong message that CONFESSION UNDER TORTURE IS NEVER ENOUGH!!!
I have now filed an Illinois Appellate Court appeal of a civil case I brought, pro se (through self-representation) in the public interest. In this case I provide evidence that the IL Parole System is a sham and tens of millions are fraudulently given to a company to provide a parolee/releasee check-in telephone number that is a skeletal operation that is essentially not operational. I asked for a court order (mandamus) to force the IDOC to make a valid contract with a private company to provide this telephone number or to make a telephone call-in system run by IDOC. If you don’t follow parolees, then the public safety is endangered from addicts, mentally ill criminals, violent and perverted felons. We should hold those accountable that run this system for profit, but don’t provide the service required by law.
If there are any pro bono attorneys who care about society and wish to help me, please contact me at picepil@aol.com.
If you are reading this blog, you are aware that I was wrongfully convicted of aggravated battery to a correctional officer in 2007 and sentenced to two years IDOC and one year mandatory supervised release (parole). I served the minimum of 6 months and one year parole. The facts are that I am innocent. The corrupt officer, Sgt. Anthony Salemi, attacked me in my wheelchair while I was wrongfully incarcerated, falsified his records, said I attacked him, committed perjury at trial, and the prosecuters committed extreme prosecutorial misconduct while the judge denied due process. See my appeal: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16301520/Appeal-of-Wrongful-Conviction-Battery-Shelton-Illinois-2009
During the parole time, I discovered that the parole system is a sham with incompetent sociopathic and undertrained parole officers who are not supervised properly. My parole officer, Victoria Dockery (alias Pork), supposedly supervised by P/A Dana Travis falsified her records and issued an arrest warrant for me that was on the books for five months and the IDOC Fugitive Apprehension Unit of the NEVER EVER attempted to capture or find me.
I was living with my father, which was the approved housing site, and was hospitalized twice during this time for a heart procedure and for a stroke-like episode, as well as appeared in civil and criminal court at the Daley Center, Criminal Crt Building, and Federal Building dozens of time. SO OBVIOUSLY THEY DIDN’T LOOK FOR ME OR EVEN INFORM ME THERE WAS A FELONY WARRANT!
I am disabled, live with my elderly disabled father, was hospitalized several times during this period for a heart procedure and stroke like symptoms. Therefore, I am NOT difficult to find. My father’s home was my IDOC approved housing site while on parole. Six days a week home health aides are with us during the day to help me bath and care for my father, do shopping/errands, and do cooking/housework. I also appeared in both federal and state court on criminal cases and on my civil cases more than 30 times and no officer even attempted to arrest me for this warrant, despite the fact I am on their “escort” list as a danger for unknown reasons (because I sue corrupt officials). Apparently the fugitive apprehension unit is a joke and exists on paper only. The Director of the parole division, Montgomery, of IDOC was informed of all this and has done nothing. Apparently he is also being paid fraudulently for doing nothing.
The Dir. of IDOC also admitted to me in writing that the IDOC contracts with a private agency to maintain a parolee check-in telephone number but they don’t have a contract. The comptroller has confirmed this agency, Protocol Services, Inc., has been paid by the state of IL $6 million per year for the past six years. It is illegal in Illinois to give this much money to a contractor without competitive bidding and a contract. Therefore the Dir. of the IDOC is admitting fraud and corruption.
The IL Attorney Gen. Madigan is defending these acts of violations of law. This is outrageous. She should recuse herself from this case, work with the US Attorney, and recommend that corrupt officials be indicted. The lack of a functional parole system in Illinois not only wastes money through fraud, but is a danger to the public.
The acting Dir. of the IL State Police, Mr. Monken is refusing to investigate these crimes. He therefore, should NOT be confirmed in his position by the Illinois Senate. I have reported all of this to the FBI, but they have not done anything yet. They are slow as molasses.
Mr. Birkett and other candidates: What are you going to do about this corruption?
It’s important to remember that these are just accusations at this point, and Greenwood is considered innocent until proven guilty.
Officer William Greenwood, age 43, was indicted today on 10 counts of criminal sexual assault and six counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton. He will be arraigned August 10, 2009. He was arrested June 10, 2009 for allegedly assaulting a teenage relative repeatedly. He is a U.S. Army veteran and former Mount Vernon police officer. The Chicago Police Department has relieved Officer Greenwood of his police powers. The victim told a friend of the abuse on Facebook, and her friend encouraged her to report the abuse. The girl later told her mother, who reported it to police.
THE TRIAL OF RMNEWS AGENT CHRISTOPHER BOLLYN AS REPORTED BY DR. LINDA SHELTON
Posted By: Rayelan in Rumor Mill News Reading Room at www.rumormillnews.com
Date: Wednesday, 13-Jun-2007 02:10:08
THE TRIAL OF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER CHRISTOPHER BOLLYN
By Dr. Linda Shelton, Phd, MD
RMNews 06.11.07 – - I met Mr. Bollyn about six months ago and talked with his children, wife and friends. I find this attack on a former mayoral candicate for Hoffman Estates, a suburb of Chicago, an independent investigative reporter quite disturbing and un-American.
I believe this is a case of false arrest, malicious prosecution, retaliation against a political opponent and person with controversial views, felony civil rights violations, taser abuse, excessive force, perjury by State witnesses, extreme prosecutorial and judicial misconduct, bias of a jury by misinformation and defamation of the defendant’s character with false information, and constitutional violations of due process.
Mr. Bollyn verily believes that if he was incarcerated or stayed in Hoffman Estates, he would be tortured or killed and he would be repeatedly physicially attacked and falsely arrested for his views on 911 (he believes it was a Zionist conspiracy and the buildings were brought down by explosions and not the planes), and his views that Zionists are controlling the world economy and politics to the detriment of all people.
Therefore, instead of subjecting himself to sentencing by what he believes to be a corrupt court system, he fled the country with his family and now lives in Europe. His wife is Estonian and Mr. Bollyn speaks several languages, so he is comfortable and happier in Europe.
If you are interested in Mr. Bollyn’s work as an independent investigative reporter please see his web site: http://www.bollyn.com/
Mr. Bollyn is very sincere, thorough, yet controversial in his views and conclusions about the evidence he has examined concerning 911. He also seems controversial because some have labeled him anti-semetic. I believe he actually is anti-Zionist and falls in a group of people who believe there is a grand plan by Zionist agents that control all aspects of world politics and economy. I do not find him anti-semetic in the broader sense. I have no comment on these controversial issues of Zionist control of the world and 911 conspiracy theories and do not wish to become embroiled in such controversial topics. I am concerned about the justice system and how it handles ALL CITIZENS, regardless of their views.
When we attack those that have viewpoints on the fringe or who question our government, we prove we are not a democracy, but are an intolerant totalitarian police state. This must stop. I urge all to remember that we must show respect and compassion, as well as FAIRNESS, to all those we disagree with. Anything less is un-American.
While I do not agree with all of his writings by Mr. Bollyn, I am convinced his version of events concerning his arrest is correct. 911 investigations are not something I am knowledgeable about or care to become concerned with at this time. Conspiracy theories concerning 911 are not something I will discuss or debate on my blogs. I am concerned about police falsification of records, taser abuse, police perjury, false arrest, malicious prosecutions, civil rights violations, abuse of children, abuse of prisoners, retaliation against those who speak against our government sincerely, and problems with our justice system. Mr. Bollyn’s case falls in these categories.
I talked with the children as a pediatrician, found them to be traumatized by the brutality agaist their father and sincere. There is no reason to believe the young daughter lied. She was NOT brainwashed by her parents. Analysis of the evidence and facts also suggests Mr. Bollyn’s version of events is the truth.
I am VERY concerned about this attack on HIM which was twisted, by the corrupt police and prosecutor, into a story in which he allegedly set-up the incident in order to cause a “confrontation with authority figures.”
I attended the trial. It was simply a farce – a Salem Witch trial, where someone with alternative views was crucified. It is clearly an illegal penalty on the exercise of constitutional rights – freedom of speech. The judge allowed the prosecution to make statements that were inconsistent with the evidence and highly inflammatory slander and defamation of Mr. Bollyn’s character. The prosecutor so tainted the trial that a fair hearing was impossible.
Mr. Bollyn stated he is an investigative reporter who investigates unsolved crimes. He has written about depleted uranium, the 911 tragedy, and many other controversial issues of the day. I find it astonishing that the police and prosecutors twisted his career, and his right to question the actions of our government, into a theory that he purposely causes incidents to occur so that he can write about them.
I find it more astonishing that the judge allowed this baseless, anti free-speech and anti free-press argument. It’s unbelievable that the jury bought it. No evidence was provided to the jury to prove this nonsense and therefore, it was impermissible defamation of the defendant.
Mr. Bollyn’s attorneys pointed out the inconsistencies and lies of the police, but NO ONE ON THE JURY LISTENED, AND THE JUDGE IGNORED THE DUE PROCESS VIOLATIONS.
Consider please,
The three undercover tactical officers said Bollyn had approached the three of them, after they had gotten out of a car, which they had parked across the entry to his driveway – blocking it. They said they told the uniformed officer, who had been initially dispatched to respond to the call, that they would handle it. The uniformed officer then parked out of direct view of the Bollyns.
Officer Barber said Bollyn was “irate,” and that “he was looking for a fight,” and that “that scared the hell out of me.”
Officer Felgenhauer said “I did not want to see what he was going to bring out of the house.” Yet no search warrant was issued to see what was in the house after the arrest, and they allowed Bollyn’s wife to go into the house and get a camera. When she tried to use the camera to document what was happening, they threatened her.
The three officers all stated that Mr. Bollyn smelled of alcohol. One said he could smell it from 10 feet away, while the other two said Bollyn had gotten as close as 2 feet from them.
Bollyn allegedly pointed a finger in one officer’s face (Barber) from two feet away, and stood in a “bladed stance” with “clenched fists and clenched teeth.” Bollyn said he stood 8 feet away and only pointed at their car. Bollyn testified that he said, “Why are you threatening our neighborhood, what is that (pointing to their unmarked car), and what agency do you work for?”
The undercover cops all said their vests were clearly marked with large letters saying “police” but admitted that the words were attached by Velcro. They said their badges were clearly in view although one said his badge was under the vest.
The police said Bollyn ran for the house stating he was getting “reinforcements” and the three heavily armed officers (like a Swat team, or according to Bollyn, like someone would see in Baghdad) were afraid he was going into the house to get a weapon because he turned and said “I’m getting re-enforcements, the militia,” so they had to take him down, after stating multiple times he was under arrest, and that he struggled so much they had to use a TASER.
One officer (Felgenhauer) stated clearly that Mr. Bollyn had committed NO CRIME before he turned to the house and ran. (Then why was he convicted of assault?) Furthermore, the police admitted that his running to his house was not itself a crime. Bollyn said he walked quickly to get his brother as he though he was going to get shot.
The prosecutors said since Bollyn gave a speech in Utah 3-4 weeks later, and moved his arm, this proved that he was faking his elbow injury.
The police chief admitted that their police cars, including the undercover cars are equipped with video cameras and that the department policy is that it is mandatory to use them and to preserve this evidence if it documents a crime. Yet the chief said the tapes of all seven cars, including that of the first uniformed officer on the scene, Ofc. Kruschel, who hid in the shadows when the tactical unit said they would handle it, as well as the undercover car, were re-cycled and no one ever looked at them to see if there was any evidence.
The arresting officer (Fitzgerald) said that Mr. Bollyn was so drunk and belligerent that he banged his head on the Plexiglas divider in the squad car.
Fitzgerald also admitted, on cross-examination, that he was the officer that told the squad car behind him (Ofc. Kruschel who had been on the scene from the beginning) to “turn off your video”, while he was transporting Bollyn and that he could have turned his video around to record Bollyn’s behavior but he didn’t. This statement was played by the defense from the recording of the police communication center.
The police testified that the undercover officers were just doing “routine patrols” several nights in a row, and that there was a woman who is a user of heroin down the street.
The prosecutor (despite the 911 deputy director stating that the police and fire logs were accurate and in real time) stated in closing that the logs were not accurate because the 911 staff did not necessarily write down what was said, when it was said.
Compare that nonsense with the evidence presented and facts:
1) No evidence was given that Mr. Bollyn was drunk – no breathalyzer, no statement that he had slurred speech, no statement that he stumbled or was impaired in any was – only the word of the police that he “smelled like alcohol.” The police did NOT have Bollyn examined by a doctor to document impairment by alcohol or to check him for injuries after the Taser was used.2) The police came to his property at his request when he said there was a suspicious vehicle that frightened him. The Hoffman Estates web site urges its residents to “call 911 when in doubt.” There was NO REPORT that he was drunk, no history of violence, no record of a FOIA card or a gun, and no complaint against Mr. Bollyn. Bollyn was never trained in military or police tactics. So why would three heavily-armed and very well trained tactical officers be afraid of him?
[I interviewed his family and friends and find NO evidence Mr. Bollyn drinks to excess. His brother who lived with them has mental health problems and DOES drink to excess.]
3) There was a crowd of children playing in the front yard, Mr. Bollyn was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and sandals (certainly not dressed to fight).
4) Mr. Bollyn testified he came back from a long stay away from his home a few weeks before the incident so he didn’t have a phone in the house yet. He made the 9/11 call from a liquor store near his home.
The 911 transmission log for the Hoffman Estates Fire Department EMS vehicles that responded to the Bollyn house on August 15, 2006. This document reveals that the three-man tactical unit led by Ofc. Barber planned to use violence when they responded to Mr. Bollyn’s non-emergency 911 call about a suspicious vehicle. This was not a “gang suppression” exercise – this was a hit squad!
There was absolutely no evidence to make the giant leap that he was drunk or went to the store to “buy alcohol” as the prosecutor said in the closing argument.
5) There are medical records, I have seen, but which were not introduced at trial stating Mr. Bollyn had an elbow effusion. As a doctor I can tell you that this means it is highly likely that there was a small occult fracture. These small fresh fractures usually do not show up on X-rays for weeks – the pattern of the effusion is highly suggestive. The arm would be very sore at first, but he could still move his fingers to type and could move it from the shoulder out of the sling. The hospital put on a posterior splint and gave him a sling. They told him to see an Orthopedic Surgeon, but he didn’t because he does not have health insurance, so he just wore the sling until he could use his arm better.
Just because he took it off to shower and drive, and did not wear it while giving a speech 3-4 weeks later, does not mean he was “faking” an injury so that he could falsely state the police injured him.
6) Of the three undercover tactical officers, two of them were military veterans, former military police, trained in combat and SWAT team techniques. The one who TASERed Bollyn had spent 5 years as a Military Police in charge of prisoners. Obviously these men are very familiar with the terms “re-enforcements”, “bladed stance”, and the physical demeanor of someone violent about to strike, so it is clear where these lies came from.
7) Mr. Bollyn testified he had NO military training or experience, knew of NO militia in the area and simply turned to go to the door quickly and get his brother as a witness, shouting “Jay, Jay” because one of the officers really concerned him when he stepped back and said “so you think we are threatening” and another reached under his vest and unsnapped the holster to his weapon.
How could any one believe that Mr. Bollyn took a military or martial arts like stance to pick a fight with three armed men wearing body armor while standing next to his 8-year-old daughter and wife, wearing only sandals and shorts and with no training in how to fight?
8) Mr. Bollyn is known to be a pacifist.
9) His wife testified that before Mr. Bollyn came out of the house, she had repeatedly asked the men for identification and to explain who they were. She said they would not say who they were, but that one had pulled out a driver’s license and shown it from about 7-8 feet while another raised his vest very briefly and flashed a small shiny object that could have been a badge.
10) The children’s story agrees with the Bollyn’s and contradicts the police, but they didn’t testify because their parents didn’t want them to be traumatized further.
They are suffering nightmares, refuse to sleep in the front bedroom where the window is next to where their father was attacked, and are very shaken and crying worrying that their dad, who home schools them and is very close to them will be taken away to jail. The trauma to them is palpable if one speaks to the children. 9-years-old children generally do not lie about such things, unlike police.
11) Mr. Bollyn ran for Mayor in the past (2001) so there is motive to discredit him in the community. (Cook County Illinois is known for political corruption – take out your opponent is the motto.)
12) Ofc. Kruschel’s video had been on and clearly could have recorded Bollyn’s behavior in the squad car, but it was turned off during the transport. Then why did the police not preserve it as evidence?
13) One officer testified on cross examination that Mr. Bollyn committed NO CRIME when he turned towards the house. Yet the jury convicted him of assaulting Ofc. Barber before he turned to the house to get his brother. Go figure! They obviously became biased by the inflammatory and derogatory picture painted of Bollyn by the prosecutor and failed to listen to the evidence.
14) The judge would NOT ALLOW the defense expert witness on police procedures to testify. He could have commented on “routine patrol” procedures, how it was unnecessary for all three officers to get out of the car to talk with Bollyn without any suspicion of criminal activity, how this might frighten Bollyn, how parking diagonally across the driveway was a threatening procedure, (why didn’t they politely park in front?) and how it was bizarre that three well trained and experienced officers would have to use a TASER on a partially handcuffed, restrained and untrained individual that was already pinned beneath two men on the ground. One of the men had used a very dangerous pressure hold and knelt with his full body weight on Bollyn’s right temple for at least two minutes.
15) I don’t believe that it is routine to patrol a low crime area in an undercover car with three undercover officers and to drive slowly past Mr. Bollyn’s house two days in a row.
16) The testimonies of the three undercover cops and the one witness they produced, were contradictory and highly strained.
17) Two neighbors testified for Mr. Bollyn that they were across the street and that the fire truck was there before Mr. Bollyn turned to the house and was taken down. This is confirmed by the police and fire department 911 transcripts. Why was a fire truck called before they used the TASER? This certainly is not routine in the case of a citizen who makes a call about a “suspicious vehicle.” The judge wrongfully allowed the prosecutor to contradict the 911 deputy director’s testimony in their closing argument and state that the time on the 911 transcripts were not necessarily accurate to explain the presence of the fire truck.
18) The judge allowed the State’s Attorney to grossly mischaracterize the evidence in closing, state false “facts” that were never in evidence, and therefore biased the jury.
19) Mr. Bollyn testified that the arresting Ofc. Fitzgerald was very nasty and derogatory towards him, calling his late mother a c___, etc., and when Mr. Bollyn leaned forward asking what he had said, he purposely slammed on the brakes several times to make him hit his head on the seat divider Plexiglas. At the station, Ofc. Fitzgerald told the assembled officers waiting in the garage that Mr. Bollyn had said cursing derogatory statements about the police so that they would then rough him up (Mr. Bollyn’s statement of what they said was more detailed, but I don’t wish to repeat it.)
20) The police made no effort to obtain a search warrant of the Bollyn house to find the “weapon” or “reinforcements” – yet the prosecutor made a big deal about it – “who knows what was behind that door”, and “the police risk their lives daily.” They “had to protect themselves” is what he said. I ask FROM WHAT?
This conviction was for the sole purpose of destroying the credibility of Mr. Bollyn and retaliating against his controversial reporting on issues of the day. All persons of conscience, who believe in the Bill of Rights and are opposed to the encroaching police state, should protest loudly, contribute to his legal defense fund (he will need to raise at least $10,000 for appeal) write and continue to write their congressmen, the Hoffman Estate police, Mayor, and the press about their outrage and be prepared for a long and consistent fight to overturn this gross injustice.I am praying that the judge has the intelligence and sense of justice to find Bollyn not guilty based on the evidence not-withstanding the verdict on post-trial motions, or throw out the conviction and declare a mistrial because of the prosecutorial misconduct in making derogatory and inflammatory statements without evidence, before sentencing on June 25, 2007.
