On a summer night in 2003, two patrol cars pulled over a driver in front of his South Side home for running a stop sign. Thinking police had chased the car earlier that night, four officers drew their guns and ordered the driver out.

The man's mother screamed from the sidewalk: "He can't walk! He's paralyzed! He can't get out of the car!"

When one officer thought the driver raised a gun, he opened fire, shooting the driver five times before reloading and shooting him once more.

Eight hours later, as Cornelius Ware, a 20-year-old paraplegic who drove by pushing the pedals with a wooden cane, lay gravely wounded in the hospital, police supervisors cleared the officer of any wrongdoing.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/chi-071205cops-htmlstory,0,4405016.htmlstory

Just when I make a post in another thread about how the media is sensationalist and dying, I read a well-written article that actually fulfills the media's role as an impartial government watchdog. The Trib gets applause from me.

A well-written, yet deeply troubling story. It gives credence to the many anecdotal stories that have led to the bad reputation the public has of the Chicago police.

Most police departments have oversight boards, in some form or another, to review police actions and investigate suspect wrongdoings. It would be interesting to know which of these are considered effective and which resemble the ineffective one in Chicago.