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LOCAL News :: Crime & Police

BREAKING NEWS: Aaron Patterson Arrested in Police Set-Up. Arraignment TODAY 11AM.

CHICAGO, 8/5/04--Community activist, former death row inmate and police torture victim Aaron Patterson was arrested today in a scenario reminiscent of the repeated, phony arrests of Chicago police brutality victim Jeremiah Mearday. Arraignment TODAY Friday at 11:00 AM.
The arrest occurred just one day after local news media were full of reports about a federal judge ordering the lead police torturer, former commander Jon Burge, to come back to Chicago to testify. Burge is being deposed in civil suits that Patterson and another torture victim, Madison Hobley, have filed against the City and current and former police officers.

While driving down the Bishop Ford Expressway at about 1:30 p.m. today, unmarked Chicago police cars accompanied by ATF officers cut off the car driven by Aaron Patterson and a friend, Shawn Samuels, forcing it to stop. While one mainstream press report said Patterson was “arrested during a traffic stop,” it failed to note that the stop occurred without sirens and lights, but with guns drawn.

“Get out of the f---ing car or we’ll blow your f---ing brains out,” said one officer, according to Samuels.

Police claim Patterson delivered one pound of marijuana to undercover cops, conspired to “traffic” seven grams of heroin, and was in possession of a firearm, a felony for a former inmate, even though Patterson was one of four people pardoned on the grounds of innocence by former Governor George Ryan. But Samuels, who witnessed the police search of the car, saw neither guns nor drugs.

Samuels was temporarily detained but not arrested. Presumably if there truly were weapons or drugs in Patterson's possession, he should have been arrested as well. Two other people allegedly associated with Patterson were also arrested at different locations, following what police said was a five month undercover operation.

“I’m really distraught,” said Jo Ann Patterson tonight. Mrs. Patterson stood by her son and advocated for him during the 17 years he was behind bars, most of it on death row, as one of dozens of African American men tortured by Burge and his associates. The City fired Burge for torture in February 1993. Amnesty International and other human rights advocates have produced numerous reports documenting the systematic tortures practiced by Burge, et al.

Mrs. Patterson returned to her S. Jeffreys Avenue apartment to find her home ransacked by police, who busted in their door at approximately the same time they were arresting her son.

“Aaron has been trying to correct the criminal justice system,” said Mrs. Patterson. “He’d never be caught with any drugs or guns,” explaining he spent much of his time trying to persuade his former fellow gang members to give up life on the streets. He was so concerned about following the letter of the law, she said, “He was up all night [the previous night] looking for his driver’s license because he didn’t want to drive without it.”

“I just see this as a whole revenge thing. They’re trying to throw the lawsuit [against the police and city] out the window.”

Aaron Patterson is being held at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center, 71 W. Van Buren Street, in downtown Chicago. He is due to appear today, Friday morning, August 6th before federal Judge Morton Denlow, 219 S. Dearborn, Room 1350 at 11:00 (some news reports have said 11:30; people are asked to come at 11:00). Supporters of the fight against police brutality are urged to pack the courtroom and send a strong message that Aaron Patterson will not be standing alone in this latest fight.
 
 

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