chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--CPD using controversial facial recognition program that scans billions of photos from Facebook, othe

CPD using controversial facial recognition program that scans billions of photos from Facebook, other sites

CPD using controversial facial recognition program that scans billions of photos from Facebook , other sites Share All sharing options for : CPD using controversial facial recognition program that scans billions of photos from Facebook , other sites The Chicago Police Department is using a controversial facial recognition tool that allows investigators to search an image of unknown suspects to see if it matches a database of three billion photos lifted from websites like Facebook , YouTube and Twitter — a technology privacy advocates say is so ripe for abuse that cops should stop using it immediately .
Clearview AI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software , has come under fire after a lawsuit was filed in federal court in Chicago earlier this month seeking to halt the company ’ s data collection and after the New York Times published a bombshell report detailing the privacy concerns its technology has brought to the fore .
“ It ’ s frightening , ” Chicago attorney Scott Drury , who filed the lawsuit , said of CPD ’ s decision to team up with Clearview AI .
But Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said facial recognition software like Clearview adds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ability to identify and locate suspects .
“ Our obligation is to find those individuals that hurt other people and bring them to justice , ” Guglielmi said .
“ And we want to be able to use every tool available to be able to perform that function , but we want to be able to do so responsibly.
” Chicago police entered into a two-year , $ 49,875 contract on Jan. 1 with the Vernon Hills-based tech firm CDW Government to use Clearview ’ s technology , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least two months before that , select officials at the CPD ’ s Crime Prevention and Information Center used the software on a trial basis after another law enforcement agency recommended the technology , police said .
CPD spokesman Howard Ludwig declined to provide examples of when Clearview has been used so far .
“ Any information about ongoing investigations can only come from cases that have been thoroughly adjudicated , ” said Ludwig .
“ We haven ’ t had Clearview long enough for any of the cases to have gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to find those individuals that hurt other people and bring them to justice .
And we want to be able to use every tool available to be able to perform that function.
” Clearview ’ s index of photos was built with images scraped from millions of websites .
Law enforcement officials that license the technology can upload a picture to the Clearview app , which then matches it with other photos from the database and offers links to the sites where the images were posted and other information .
Hoan Ton-That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , described the software as “ an after-the-fact research tool for law enforcement , not a surveillance system or a consumer application.
” “ Our software links to publicly available web pages , not any private data , ” Ton-That told the Sun-Times last week .
Thirty CPD officials working at CPIC now have access to the technology , according to police .
All have obtained “ top applicable national security clearance and have clear privacy guidelines to ensure individual privacy , civil rights , civil liberties and other interests are protected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with access to Clearview can only use the tool in conjunction with an active criminal investigation , adding that it ’ s not used for live surveillance or keeping tabs on protesters , for example .
‘ They should stop using it immediately ’ But despite the assurances , Karen Sheley , an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois , said it was short-sighted for the city to sign a contract to use the software without any public input .
“ It ’ s an incredible absence of judgment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it ’ s so new and without public vetting , ” said Sheley .
“ We think they should stop using it immediately.
” An official in at least one state has already moved to limit the use of Clearview software , which is reportedly used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies .
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told prosecutors that cops should stop using it in his state .
The lawsuit , which seeks class-action status , was filed against Clearview last week in the U.S. District Court for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an injunction that would result in the “ disabling and deletion of Clearview ’ s database , ” as well as damages for the plaintiff , David Mutnick , an Illinois resident .
The first court date is set for March 23 .
It alleges the firm violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act , a law that protects Illinoisans from having biometric information collected without their consent .
“ What Defendant Clearview ’ s technology really offers then is a massive surveillance state with files on almost every citizen , despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Chicago firm Loevy & Loevy , wrote in the suit .
“ Indeed , one of Defendant Clearview ’ s financial backers has conceded that Clearview may be laying the groundwork for a ‘ dystopian future.
’ Anyone utilizing the technology could determine the identities of people as they walked down the street , attended a political rally or enjoyed time in public with their families.
” The suit notes that Clearview has “ sought ways to implant its technology in wearable glasses that private individuals could use , ” although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company didn ’ t plan to release it .
The lawsuit also charges Clearview with collecting data without people ’ s knowledge or consent , searching and collecting images without probable cause and denying people the right to due process by violating the terms of websites — many of which forbid image scraping — where photos in the database were originally posted .
( Twitter has called on the company to stop taking photos from its site . )
Ton-That did not respond to a request to comment on the lawsuit .
CPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CPD ’ s partnership with Clearview is an extension of the city ’ s efforts to use facial recognition technology to fight crime , which date back more than a decade .
In 2009 , the city was awarded a $ 13.8 million grant from the the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to finance the CTA ’ s “ Regional Transit Terrorism and Response System.
” An application form detailed the department ’ s intention to utilize facial recognition technology .
It ’ s unclear if any terror-related arrests were made using the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to run facial recognition , the CPD used $ 1.3 million of grant money in 2013 to contract South Carolina-based DataWorks Plus as part of an overarching deal with Motorola .
Since the initial facial recognition contract expired at the end of 2015 , the CPD has renewed it on a yearly basis at a total cost of more than $ 400,000 .
Before adding Clearview to the mix , investigators could use the application to compare photos of suspects against the CPD ’ s database of roughly four million mugshots .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35,000 surveillance cameras across the city , including those maintained by the Chicago Transit Authority , the Chicago Housing Authority , Chicago Public Schools and other city agencies .
Documents show the system CPD purchased also could be used to do real-time surveillance , something that has raised fears of a Big Brother-like surveillance state that could track and potentially identify people regardless of whether they are involved in criminal activity .
The addition of Clearview ’ s billions of images — which include more than just mugshots of people convicted of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arsenal has further stoked those concerns .
But officials claim the CPD has never used the real-time application to conduct surveillance .
They have , however , frequently utilized mugshot-matching technology .
From 2013 to November of last year , investigators conducted 28,205 searches , or an average of 12 a day .
But in the peak year of use , 2016 , the number of queries spiked to more than 17 searches per day .
A CPD PowerPoint explaining how to use the software to detectives in 2015 noted the system “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a picture.
” “ This is an investigative tool that ’ s easy and fun to use , ” one slide says .
The CPD ’ s Guglielmi said the data is used to narrow a search for a suspect , not end it .
“ What the facial-matching program does is it allows us to get a universe of people that could be the individual accused of a crime , ” Guglielmi said .
“ And then from there , we still get a photo array , we still follow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because the software is used with other investigative tools , police said they couldn ’ t say how many facial recognition searches led to arrests or convictions .
One conviction using the technology originated last February in Edgewater .
After swiping a cellphone and some jewelry from a car , Lamont Hines decided he ’ d use the spoils for a photo shoot .
Flaunting a stolen charm necklace , Hines snapped a couple selfies with the phone .
Unbeknownst to him , the shots were quickly uploaded to the victim ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software to match the shots to Hines ’ mugshots from previous arrests .
Hines , 42 , of South Shore , was then taken into custody and charged with a felony count of theft .
He pleaded guilty to the charge in September and was given two years of probation , court records show .
Use of facial recognition software has support of the public , a poll released by the Pew Research Center in September found .
Some 56 % of Americans said they trust law enforcement officials to use the technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make mistakes , which some fear could lead to false arrests if someone is wrongly matched to a photo of a suspect .
A study released in December by the National Institute of Standards and Technology found many systems misidentified people of color more often than whites .
That is of particular concern with Clearview ’ s much larger database of photos to search .
“ The idea that every single photo is correctly tagged with the right identity online is just not a realistic viewpoint , ” said Clare Garvie , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center on Privacy and Technology , who has published studies on the use of facial recognition technology .
“ What Defendant Clearview ’ s technology really offers then is a massive surveillance state with files on almost every citizen , despite the presumption of innocence.
” Despite the privacy concerns , the CPD ’ s use of facial recognition technology didn ’ t need approval from the City Council and and there has been no public hearings on its use .
There ’ s also limited federal oversight over how law enforcement agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other departments are largely left to police themselves .
That lack of oversight has led Lucy Parsons Labs , a Chicago nonprofit that advocates for police accountability , to call on Lightfoot to ban all city agencies from using the technology , similar to San Francisco and Oakland .
“ We would call for community oversight on all surveillance technologies , ” said Freddy Martinez , executive director of Lucy Parsons Labs , which provided the Sun-Times with documents it obtained through Freedom of Information requests that detail the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was elected Mayor last April , Lightfoot told the ACLU of Illinois that she would go as far as to halt the use of the technology while convening a panel to investigate its use .
“ During this process I will place a moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology or its expansion absent an emergency situation arising from a legitimate law enforcement need , ” she wrote in an ACLU questionnaire .
But since taking office , no review or moratorium has taken place .
In fact , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facial recognition arsenal , the city ’ s capabilities have only expanded under her watch .
Asked about the expansion late last week , Lightfoot reiterated her vow to review the city ’ s use of the technology with the assistance of privacy advocates and community members .
The city aims to advance protections and integrate “ national best practices for the use of this technology to ensure nothing but the full protection of personal and constitutional rights for our residents and visitors , ” her office said in a statement .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risks and promises of these tools , ” Lightfoot ’ s office said .
“ [ W ] e take seriously our obligation and duties to ensure the safety of all of our communities while balancing the privacy concerns of our residents that can stem from new and emerging technology.
” Despite the assurances , Garvie , of the Georgetown Law Center , said the CPD ’ s procurement of real-time software is tantamount to “ a police department secretly acquiring a tank and parking it behind their office.
” “ Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asks about it , the police response is , ‘ Don ’ t worry , we don ’ t use that tank , ’ ” said Garvie .
She said now “ the question is , why did they have it in the first place ?
What is the purpose of that tank , if not to be used ?
”

The Chicago Police Department is using a controversial facial recognition tool that allows investigators to search an image of unknown suspects to see if it matches a database of three billion photos lifted from websites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter — a technology privacy advocates say is so ripe for abuse that cops should stop using it immediately.
Clearview AI, the Manhattan-based firm that developed the software, has come under fire after the New York Times published a bombshell report detailing the privacy concerns its technology has brought to the fore. A lawsuit was filed in federal court in Chicago earlier this month seeking to halt the company’s data collection.
“It’s frightening,” Chicago attorney Scott Drury, who filed the lawsuit, said of CPD’s decision to team up with Clearview AI.
But Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said facial recognition software like Clearview adds “jet fuel” to the department’s ability to identify and locate suspects.
“Our obligation is to find those individuals that hurt other people and bring them to justice,” Guglielmi said. “And we want to be able to use every tool available to be able to perform that function, but we want to be able to do so responsibly.”
Two-year contract
Chicago police entered into a two-year, $49,875 contract on Jan. 1 with the Vernon Hills-based tech firm CDW Government to use Clearview’s technology, according to a statement issued by the department.
For at least two months before that, select officials at the CPD’s Crime Prevention and Information Center used the software on a trial basis after another law enforcement agency recommended the technology, police said.
CPD spokesman Howard Ludwig declined to provide examples of when Clearview has been used so far.
“Any information about ongoing investigations can only come from cases that have been thoroughly adjudicated,” said Ludwig. “We haven’t had Clearview long enough for any of the cases to have gone through the courts.”
“Our obligation is to find those individuals that hurt other people and bring them to justice. And we want to be able to use every tool available to be able to perform that function.”
Clearview’s index of photos was built with images scraped from millions of websites. Law enforcement officials that license the technology can upload a picture to the Clearview app, which then matches it with other photos from the database and offers links to the sites where the images were posted and other information.
Hoan Ton-That, the creator of the Clearview technology, described the software as “an after-the-fact research tool for law enforcement, not a surveillance system or a consumer application.”
“Our software links to publicly available web pages, not any private data,” Ton-That told the Sun-Times last week.
Thirty CPD officials working at CPIC now have access to the technology, according to police. All have obtained “top applicable national security clearance and have clear privacy guidelines to ensure individual privacy, civil rights, civil liberties and other interests are protected,” police said.
Police said officials with access to Clearview can only use the tool in conjunction with an active criminal investigation, adding that it’s not used for live surveillance or keeping tabs on protesters, for example.
Hoan Ton-That, the creator of the Clearview technology, described the software as “an after-the-fact research tool for law enforcement, not a surveillance system or a consumer application.”
‘They should stop using it immediately’
But despite the assurances, Karen Sheley, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, said it was short-sighted for the city to sign a contract to use the software without any public input.
“It’s an incredible absence of judgment to sign on to this kind of technology when it’s so new and without public vetting,” said Sheley. “We think they should stop using it immediately.”
An official in at least one state has already moved to limit the use of Clearview software, which is reportedly used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told prosecutors that cops should stop using it in his state.
The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, was filed against Clearview last week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The suit seeks an injunction that would result in the “disabling and deletion of Clearview’s database,” as well as damages for the plaintiff, David Mutnick, an Illinois resident. The first court date is set for March 23.
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It alleges the firm violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, a law that protects Illinoisans from having biometric information collected without their consent.
“What Defendant Clearview’s technology really offers then is a massive surveillance state with files on almost every citizen, despite the presumption of innocence,” Drury, of the Chicago firm Loevy & Loevy, wrote in the suit. “Indeed, one of Defendant Clearview’s financial backers has conceded that Clearview may be laying the groundwork for a ‘dystopian future.’ Anyone utilizing the technology could determine the identities of people as they walked down the street, attended a political rally or enjoyed time in public with their families.”
The suit notes that Clearview has “sought ways to implant its technology in wearable glasses that private individuals could use,” although Ton-That told the New York Times the company didn’t plan to release it.
The lawsuit also charges Clearview with collecting data without people’s knowledge or consent, searching and collecting images without probable cause and denying people the right to due process by violating the terms of websites — many of which forbid image scraping — where photos in the database were originally posted. (Twitter has called on the company to stop taking photos from its site.)
Ton-That did not respond to a request to comment on the lawsuit.
A slide from a PowerPoint explaining how to use CPD’s facial recognition software. Chicago police
CPD has been using facial recognition for years
CPD’s partnership with Clearview is an extension of the city’s efforts to use facial recognition technology to fight crime, which date back more than a decade.
In 2009, the city was awarded a $13.8 million grant from the the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to finance the CTA’s “Regional Transit Terrorism and Response System.” An application form detailed the department’s intention to utilize facial recognition technology. It’s unclear if any terror-related arrests were made using the software.
After creating the digital infrastructure to run facial recognition, the CPD used $1.3 million of grant money in 2013 to contract South Carolina-based DataWorks Plus as part of an overarching deal with Motorola. Since the initial facial recognition contract expired at the end of 2015, the CPD has renewed it on a yearly basis at a total cost of more than $400,000.
DataWorks didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Before adding Clearview to the mix, investigators could use the application to compare photos of suspects against the CPD’s database of roughly four million mugshots. Those searching DataWorks can pull photos from roughly 35,000 surveillance cameras across the city, including those maintained by the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Public Schools and other city agencies.
Documents show the system CPD purchased also could be used to do real-time surveillance, something that has raised fears of a Big Brother-like surveillance state that could track and potentially identify people regardless of whether they are involved in criminal activity. The addition of Clearview’s billions of images — which include more than just mugshots — to the CPD’s arsenal has further stoked those concerns.
But officials claim the CPD has never used the real-time application to conduct surveillance.
A dozen searches a day
They have, however, frequently utilized mugshot-matching technology.
From 2013 to November of last year, investigators conducted 28,205 searches, or an average of 12 a day. But in the peak year of use, 2016, the number of queries spiked to more than 17 searches per day.
A CPD PowerPoint explaining how to use the software to detectives in 2015 noted the system “can develop leads where there was none but a picture.”
“This is an investigative tool that’s easy and fun to use,” one slide says.
The CPD’s Guglielmi said the data is used to narrow a search for a suspect, not end it.
“What the facial-matching program does is it allows us to get a universe of people that could be the individual accused of a crime,” Guglielmi said. “And then from there, we still get a photo array, we still follow the legal process to identify this person.”
Because the software is used with other investigative tools, police said they couldn’t say how many facial recognition searches led to arrests or convictions.
Lamont Hines Chicago police
A selfie match
One conviction using the technology originated last February in Edgewater.
After swiping a cellphone and some jewelry from a car, Lamont Hines decided he’d use the spoils for a photo shoot.
Flaunting a stolen charm necklace, Hines snapped a couple selfies with the phone. Unbeknownst to him, the shots were quickly uploaded to the victim’s iCloud account. Detectives used facial recognition software to match the shots to Hines’ mugshots from previous arrests.
Hines, 42, of South Shore, was then taken into custody and charged with a felony count of theft. He pleaded guilty to the charge in September and was given two years of probation, court records show.
Use of facial recognition software has support of the public, a poll released by the Pew Research Center in September found. Some 56% of Americans said they trust law enforcement officials to use the technology responsibly.
Mistakes possible
But facial recognition technology can make mistakes, which some fear could lead to false arrests if someone is wrongly matched to a photo of a suspect. A study released in December by the National Institute of Standards and Technology found many systems misidentified people of color more often than whites. That is of particular concern with Clearview’s much larger database of photos to search.
“The idea that every single photo is correctly tagged with the right identity online is just not a realistic viewpoint,” said Clare Garvie, a senior associate at Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology, who has published studies on the use of facial recognition technology.
“What Defendant Clearview’s technology really offers then is a massive surveillance state with files on almost every citizen, despite the presumption of innocence.”
Despite the privacy concerns, the CPD’s use of facial recognition technology didn’t need approval from the City Council and and there have been no public hearings on its use. There’s also limited federal oversight over how law enforcement agencies use facial recognition, meaning the CPD and other departments are largely left to police themselves.
That lack of oversight has led Lucy Parsons Labs, a Chicago nonprofit that advocates for police accountability, to call on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to ban all city agencies from using the technology, similar to San Francisco and Oakland.
“We would call for community oversight on all surveillance technologies,” said Freddy Martinez, executive director of Lucy Parsons Labs, which provided the Sun-Times with documents it obtained through Freedom of Information requests that detail the city’s use of facial recognition technology.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Sun-Times file photo
Candidate Lightfoot called for moratorium
Before she was elected mayor last April, Lightfoot told the ACLU of Illinois that she would go as far as to halt the use of the technology while convening a panel to investigate its use.
“During this process I will place a moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology or its expansion absent an emergency situation arising from a legitimate law enforcement need,” she wrote in an ACLU questionnaire.
But since taking office, no review or moratorium has taken place. In fact, with the addition of Clearview to CPD’s facial recognition arsenal, the city’s capabilities have only expanded under her watch.
Asked about the expansion late last week, Lightfoot reiterated her vow to review the city’s use of the technology with the assistance of privacy advocates and community members.
The city aims to advance protections and integrate “national best practices for the use of this technology to ensure nothing but the full protection of personal and constitutional rights for our residents and visitors,” her office said in a statement.
The city “is working responsibly to confront the risks and promises of these tools,” Lightfoot’s office said.
“[W]e take seriously our obligation and duties to ensure the safety of all of our communities while balancing the privacy concerns of our residents that can stem from new and emerging technology.”
Concerns remain
Despite the assurances, Garvie, of the Georgetown Law Center, said the CPD’s procurement of real-time software is tantamount to “a police department secretly acquiring a tank and parking it behind their office.”
“Then, when a reporter finds the tank and asks about it, the police response is, ‘Don’t worry, we don’t use that tank,’” said Garvie.
She said now “the question is, why did they have it in the first place? What is the purpose of that tank, if not to be used?”


chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--Man charged with fleeing traffic stop, hitting officer with vehicle in Washington Heights

A man is charged with fleeing a traffic stop Sunday and hitting an officer with his vehicle in Washington Heights on the South Side .
Larone Price , 25 , and his passenger Jayla Creamer , 19 , allegedly blew a stop sign about 8:20 p.m. in the 10000 block of South Peoria Street and drove off when officers tried to pull them over , Chicago police said .
Price crashed into parked vehicle and stopped , police said .
As officers approached the car , Price put the car in reverse and hit one of them as they tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
He sped off to the 9900 block of South Halsted and hit another vehicle in traffic , police said .
Price and Creamer , both Longwood Manor residents , were arrested after a short time later , police said .
The officer who was hurt was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries .
Price is charged with a felony count each of aggravated battery to an officer and aggravated fleeing , police said .
He also faces misdemeanor counts of fleeing and driving without a license .
Price was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Cook County court records .
He is due back in court Feb. 3 .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A man is charged with fleeing a traffic stop Sunday and hitting an officer with his vehicle in Washington Heights on the South Side.
Larone Price, 25, and his passenger Jayla Creamer, 19, allegedly blew a stop sign about 8:20 p.m. in the 10000 block of South Peoria Street and drove off when officers tried to pull them over, Chicago police said.
Larone Price Chicago police
Price crashed into parked vehicle and stopped, police said.
As officers approached the car, Price put the car in reverse and hit one of them as they tried to open the side door, police said.
He sped off to the 9900 block of South Halsted and hit another vehicle in traffic, police said.
Price and Creamer, both Longwood Manor residents, were arrested after a short time later, police said. The officer who was hurt was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.
Price is charged with a felony count each of aggravated battery to an officer and aggravated fleeing, police said. He also faces misdemeanor counts of fleeing and driving without a license.
Price was released Monday after posting bail, according to Cook County court records. He is due back in court Feb. 3.
Creamer faces a misdemeanor count of reckless conduct, police said.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--6 shot, 2 killed Tuesday in Chicago

6 shot, 2 killed Tuesday in Chicago

Six people were shot — two of them fatally — Tuesday in Chicago , including a man who was killed during an argument in West Pullman on the South Side .
The man , 37 , was arguing with another male just before 7:15 p.m. at a home in the 11900 block of South Lafayette Avenue , Chicago police said .
The other male then left the home , came back with a gun and shot at the man .
The man was struck in the torso and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , where he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man was killed in a drive-by Tuesday morning in Heart of Chicago on the Southwest Side .
The 36-year-old was walking on the sidewalk about 10:44 a.m. in the 2200 block of South Leavitt Street when someone fired shots from a passing vehicle , Chicago police said .
The man was struck multiple times and taken to Mt .
Sinai Hospital , where he was pronounced dead , police said .
In the day ’ s latest shooting , a 21-year-old man was wounded after getting into an argument inside a store in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Side .
About 11:15 p.m. , he got into an argument with two males inside of a retail store in the 1800 block of West 47th Street , Chicago police said .
Once outside of the store , he was shot by one of the males .
He was rushed to Stroger Hospital in serious condition , with gunshot wounds to his chest and torso , police said .
Another argument led to a shooting were a man was wounded in South Shore on the South Side .
About 9:50 p.m. , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment in the 7400 block of South Yates Boulevard when a male he was arguing with shot him in the back , arm and torso , police said .
He took himself to St. Bernard Hospital and was transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition , police said .
A 37-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in Homan Square on the West Side .
He was on the sidewalk about 7:30 p.m. in the 3500 block of West Harrison Street when he heard gunfire and felt pain , police said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition .
In the day ’ s first reported shooting , a man was wounded in East Garfield Park on the West Side .
The 35-year-old was standing on the corner in the first block of North Kedzie Avenue about 10:40 a.m. when someone in a passing car fired shots , Chicago police said .
He was taken to Mt .
Sinai Hospital in good condition .
Tuesday ’ s shootings come after a Monday in which seven people were wounded and two killed in Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track the city ’ s homicides .

Six people were shot — two of them fatally — Tuesday in Chicago, including a man who was killed during an argument in West Pullman on the South Side.
Quentin Paxton, 37, was arguing with another male just before 7:15 p.m. at a home in the 11900 block of South Lafayette Avenue, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. The other male then left the home, came back with a gun and shot at the man.
Paxton was struck in the torso and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Another man was killed in a drive-by Tuesday morning in Heart of Chicago on the Southwest Side.
The 36-year-old was walking on the sidewalk about 10:44 a.m. in the 2200 block of South Leavitt Street when someone fired shots from a passing vehicle, Chicago police said.
The man was struck multiple times and taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
In the day’s latest shooting, a 21-year-old man was wounded after getting into an argument inside a store in Back of the Yards on the South Side.
About 11:15 p.m., he got into an argument with two males inside of a retail store in the 1800 block of West 47th Street, Chicago police said. Once outside of the store, he was shot by one of the males.
He was rushed to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, with gunshot wounds to his chest and torso, police said.
Another argument led to a shooting were a man was wounded in South Shore on the South Side.
About 9:50 p.m., the man, 19, was inside an apartment in the 7400 block of South Yates Boulevard when a male he was arguing with shot him in the back, arm and torso, police said.
He took himself to St. Bernard Hospital and was transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.
A 37-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in Homan Square on the West Side.
He was on the sidewalk about 7:30 p.m. in the 3500 block of West Harrison Street when he heard gunfire and felt pain, police said. The man was struck in the shoulder and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition.
In the day’s first reported shooting, a man was wounded in East Garfield Park on the West Side.
The 35-year-old was standing on the corner in the first block of North Kedzie Avenue about 10:40 a.m. when someone in a passing car fired shots, Chicago police said. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in good condition.
Tuesday’s shootings come after a Monday in which seven people were wounded and two killed in Chicago.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--Toronzo Cannon, Li’l Ed and the Blues Imperials, John Primer headline Winter Blues Festival

Chicago ’ s “ winter blues ” takes on a positive spin this weekend as Arlington Heights ’ boutique music club Hey Nonny hosts the area ’ s only indoor blues festival .
With programming scheduled Jan. 31 through Feb. 2 , the Winter Blues Summit will feature performances from brothers Jimmy and Syl Johnson ( the latter , an upcoming Blues Hall of Fame inductee ) , Kinsey Report , Toronzo Cannon , Li ’ l Ed and the Blues Imperials , Joanna Connor , John Primer and more than a dozen other Chicago greats .
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its interconnected access to the Metropolis Theatre ’ s varied spaces to provide four stages without ever having to take a step outside .
Pass holders will also get entrance into two exclusive Blues Brunches Saturday and Sunday as well as a screening of “ Sidemen : Long Road to Glory ” with director Scott D. Rosenbaum preceded by a panel discussion with some legendary Chicago sidemen , including Bob Stroger , Rico McFarland , Donald Kinsey , Marty Sammon , and Billy Flynn who have toured and recorded with the likes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marley .
“ If you ’ re going to host a festival , there needs to be an opportunity to do different kinds of programming , I really value that , ” says Hey Nonny co-owner Chip Brooks .
“ We wanted to give people an experience that would be memorable .
We figured there ’ s a lot going on in the summer , but not that much in the winter , and we had this unique set of indoor spaces that can hold a festival , which I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened the venue.
” Brooks , a former lawyer and part-time musician , opened the suburban music venue 16 months ago with business partner Chris Dungan over a “ mutual interest ” in concert experiences .
“ We ’ d get together to hear music in all the venues in Chicago , but from Arlington Heights it ’ s a long drive to get to Evanston to go to SPACE or to go to Schuba ’ s , ” says Brooks .
“ Our goal was to see if we could develop what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the ‘ burbs and see if we could make it a high-level place that would be on a level with those venues we love in Chicago .
If you look on our wall , we have pictures of our favorite Chicago music venues to remind us this is what we are trying to accomplish.
” Over the past year , Hey Nonny has enjoyed a range of successful bookings from Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin to Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts , but their blues shows have always been highlights and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve tried to program all different kinds of music and present a large variety .
One of the things that has worked is blues , ” says Brooks .
“ We ’ ve had a good time with it and gotten to know a lot of the blues players in Chicago and the people in that community .
So , we thought , since the greatest blues talent in the world is right here in Chicago , why not put on a winter festival.
” One such player Brooks has grown close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out two Hey Nonny performances and will help close out Saturday night at the Winter Blues Summit .
“ Everybody has a role in keeping the blues alive , from the artists , the guys that run the venues , the bookers , the audience , everyone has a part , ” says Cannon , whose albums on the local Alligator Records imprint have been nominated for Blues Music Awards and have gotten him placements on the annual Chicago Blues Festival as well as stages all over the world .
“ Chip is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blues in the fact that he has a venue in Arlington Heights and is bringing blues to that area , ” he adds .
“ Some people might not want to travel all the way to Chicago to see blues acts , so we bring them the blues.
” Cannon , who promises some very special surprises for his late-night set , also loves playing the Hey Nonny stage for its intimate draw .
“ The stage is close to the people ; most of my music and my songs that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of like a little congregation as if we ’ re in church , and I can talk to the audience.
” A CTA bus driver by day and blues man by night , Cannon has an interesting perspective on daily “ blues ” that goes into his songs .
“ It ’ s hard to make a living by just being a musician .
It ’ s a situation of doing what I got to do to do what I want to do , ” he says .
“ But I try not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my woman left me ’ sort of thing .
I see things that are very raw , from living conditions and people that can ’ t pay fare to get on the bus , I hear their stories .
I see the yellow tape .
I ’ ve seen robberies while driving the bus .
I hear ambulances and police sirens all day .
To the untrained ear they might not hear that but that ’ s how I write my stories .
I see stories everywhere.
” Cannon himself grew up on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes and former Theresa ’ s Lounge blues club , and he unleashes a lot of his close-up experiences in his new album , “ The Preacher , The Politician Or The Pimp ” like the song “ Insurance , ” a funny take on a serious matter of the millions of uninsured in America or “ The Silence of My Friends ” that was inspired by the famous Martin Luther King , Jr. speech .
“ But everything is not about being downtrodden , ” he cautions .
“ The will of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spark of hope in your music , at least that ’ s how I try to write .
And as a Chicagoan , I feel a duty to keep the legacy of the blues alive and legends like Muddy Waters and Elmore James , all those guys that came from down south and landed here in Chicago and created a whole different sound .
I feel it ’ s a duty for me as a young blues artist—a young pup at 51 years of age—to keep that tradition alive with my own stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you calculate all the years that the guys on this particular festival have been playing , in total you might have over 386 years up there , and hopefully the blues continues for that many years more .
”

Chicago’s “winter blues” takes on a positive spin this weekend as Arlington Heights’ boutique music club Hey Nonny hosts the area’s only indoor blues festival.
With programming scheduled Jan. 31 through Feb. 2, the Winter Blues Summit will feature performances from brothers Jimmy and Syl Johnson (the latter, an upcoming Blues Hall of Fame inductee), Kinsey Report, Toronzo Cannon, Li’l Ed and the Blues Imperials, Joanna Connor, John Primer and more than a dozen other Chicago greats. In addition to Hey Nonny, the club will use its interconnected access to the Metropolis Theatre’s varied spaces to provide four stages without ever having to take a step outside.
Untitled WINTER BLUES SUMMIT When: 6 p.m. Jan. 31; 10 a.m. Feb. 1-2 Where: Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights Tickets: $175 for 3-day pass; $60 each for Friday and Sunday; $120 for Saturday only Information: heynonny.com
Pass holders will also get entrance into two exclusive Blues Brunches Saturday and Sunday as well as a screening of “Sidemen: Long Road to Glory” with director Scott D. Rosenbaum preceded by a panel discussion with some legendary Chicago sidemen, including Bob Stroger, Rico McFarland, Donald Kinsey, Marty Sammon, and Billy Flynn who have toured and recorded with the likes of Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Bob Marley.
“If you’re going to host a festival, there needs to be an opportunity to do different kinds of programming, I really value that,” says Hey Nonny co-owner Chip Brooks. “We wanted to give people an experience that would be memorable. We figured there’s a lot going on in the summer, but not that much in the winter, and we had this unique set of indoor spaces that can hold a festival, which I’ve been wanting to try to do since we opened the venue.”
Lil’ Ed, of Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, performs during the concert following the Rock “n” Roll Chicago Half Marathon and 10K in 2018 in Chicago. Getty Images
Brooks, a former lawyer and part-time musician, opened the suburban music venue 16 months ago with business partner Chris Dungan over a “mutual interest” in concert experiences.
“We’d get together to hear music in all the venues in Chicago, but from Arlington Heights it’s a long drive to get to Evanston to go to SPACE or to go to Schuba’s,” says Brooks. “Our goal was to see if we could develop what we thought was a cool music venue in the ‘burbs and see if we could make it a high-level place that would be on a level with those venues we love in Chicago. If you look on our wall, we have pictures of our favorite Chicago music venues to remind us this is what we are trying to accomplish.”
Over the past year, Hey Nonny has enjoyed a range of successful bookings from Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin to Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts, but their blues shows have always been highlights and often sold-out affairs. “We’ve tried to program all different kinds of music and present a large variety. One of the things that has worked is blues,” says Brooks. “We’ve had a good time with it and gotten to know a lot of the blues players in Chicago and the people in that community. So, we thought, since the greatest blues talent in the world is right here in Chicago, why not put on a winter festival.”
One such player Brooks has grown close to is Toronzo Cannon who has previously sold out two Hey Nonny performances and will help close out Saturday night at the Winter Blues Summit.
Toronzo Cannon Mike White Photo
“Everybody has a role in keeping the blues alive, from the artists, the guys that run the venues, the bookers, the audience, everyone has a part,” says Cannon, whose albums on the local Alligator Records imprint have been nominated for Blues Music Awards and have gotten him placements on the annual Chicago Blues Festival as well as stages all over the world. “Chip is such a great guy and is furthering the blues in the fact that he has a venue in Arlington Heights and is bringing blues to that area,” he adds. “Some people might not want to travel all the way to Chicago to see blues acts, so we bring them the blues.”
Cannon, who promises some very special surprises for his late-night set, also loves playing the Hey Nonny stage for its intimate draw. “The stage is close to the people; most of my music and my songs that I write are story-oriented so it feels kind of like a little congregation as if we’re in church, and I can talk to the audience.”
A CTA bus driver by day and blues man by night, Cannon has an interesting perspective on daily “blues” that goes into his songs.
“It’s hard to make a living by just being a musician. It’s a situation of doing what I got to do to do what I want to do,” he says. “But I try not to write from the perspective of ‘my woman left me’ sort of thing. I see things that are very raw, from living conditions and people that can’t pay fare to get on the bus, I hear their stories. I see the yellow tape. I’ve seen robberies while driving the bus. I hear ambulances and police sirens all day. To the untrained ear they might not hear that but that’s how I write my stories. I see stories everywhere.”
Singer John Primer attends the Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in 2016. Getty Images
Cannon himself grew up on the south side near the Robert Taylor homes and former Theresa’s Lounge blues club, and he unleashes a lot of his close-up experiences in his new album, “The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp” like the song “Insurance,” a funny take on a serious matter of the millions of uninsured in America or “The Silence of My Friends” that was inspired by the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. speech.
“But everything is not about being downtrodden,” he cautions. “The will of the blues artist is to find that spark of hope in your music, at least that’s how I try to write. And as a Chicagoan, I feel a duty to keep the legacy of the blues alive and legends like Muddy Waters and Elmore James, all those guys that came from down south and landed here in Chicago and created a whole different sound. I feel it’s a duty for me as a young blues artist—a young pup at 51 years of age—to keep that tradition alive with my own stories and my own experiences. I think if you calculate all the years that the guys on this particular festival have been playing, in total you might have over 386 years up there, and hopefully the blues continues for that many years more.”
Selena Fragassi is a local freelance writer.


chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--Chicago police officer shot in West Garfield Park

A Chicago police officer was shot in the hand Wednesday afternoon while witnessing a shooting that wounded another man on @ @ @ @ @ injured officer was taken by squad car to Stroger Hospital for treatment , Chicago Fire @ @ @ @ @ .
The officer was wounded while observing a shooting in progress near Madison Street and @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement posted to Twitter .
Another man , who was @ @ @ @ @ also wounded in the shooting , Merritt said .
His condition was not immediately available @ @ @ @ @ traffic , the shooting happened about 2:25 p.m. and a suspected shooter was arrested near @ @ @ @ @ .

A Chicago Police officer was shot and wounded Wednesday afternoon by a man suspected of killing another person just minutes earlier on the West Side.
The plainclothes officer was working in the 4000 block of West Madison Street shortly before 2:30 p.m. when he saw the man fatally shoot another person on the sidewalk before getting into a white pickup truck, interim CPD Supt. Charlie Beck said.
The 26-year-old man was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the man as Devell Hill.
The officer followed the white pickup, but when the driver realized he was being tailed in the 4100 block of West Wilcox Street, he got out and fired several shots at the officer’s vehicle, striking him once in the wrist, Beck said. The suspect got back in the truck and drove off.
Responding units put the injured officer in another squad car and were on their way to Stroger Hospital when they saw the suspected shooter’s truck.
“While en route to the hospital, the officer and the transporting unit observed the offender in the pickup truck,” Beck said. “The officers driving the transporting vehicle asked the injured officer — who at this point had been shot — did he still want to go directly to the hospital or should they apprehend the offender? He elected that they should apprehend the offender.”
The officers chased the suspect to Congress Parkway and Damen Avenue, just a block north of Stroger Hospital.
The truck crashed and two suspects, a male and a female, were taken into custody soon after, police said. A gun was also recovered from the vehicle.
Beck said the wounded officer has been with the CPD for more than 20 years and is in his early 40s. By late Wednesday afternoon, the officer was “lucid” and his family was with him in his hospital room. A Stroger trauma surgeon said he’s expected to be released by Thursday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters at Stroger, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city owes the wounded officer and the others on his team “a debt of gratitude.”
“Anyone who ever doubts that our officers are courageous or fearless, selfless and run towards danger to serve the public, today is another testament to the fact that they do all of those things every single day.”
Contributing: David Struett, Luke Wilusz


chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--Jussie Smollett lawyers want reports on Eddie Johnson investigation

Lawyers defending Jussie Smollett against a city lawsuit have made a sweeping request for records from an internal investigation into former Chicago Police Supt .
Eddie Johnson launched after Johnson last year was found asleep at the wheel of a parked vehicle .
City attorneys this week filed a motion seeking to block a subpoena from Smollett ’ s lawyers to City Inspector General Joe Ferguson ’ s office asking for “ any and all documents or communications relating in any way to your investigation ( s ) regarding ... Johnson ’ s conduct ” as well as records of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The filing was one of the latest in a lawsuit filed against the former “ Empire ” star seeking to recover approximately $ 160,000 paid out in overtime during the course of a three-week investigation that began after Smollett reported he ’ d been attacked near his Streeterville home .
Police later determined Smollett had paid two associates to stage the attack , and Smollett was charged with filing a false police report , with Johnson angrily condemning the actor for besmirching the reputation of the city by filing a false report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx ’ s office — prompting public outcry that has led to still-ongoing investigations by both the county Inspector General and a court-appointed Special Prosecutor .
Johnson was fired last month by Mayor Lori Lightfoot , who said the superintendent misled her in his account of an Oct. 17 incident in which he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car , following a night of heavy drinking with other officers .
The subpoena zeroes in on areas of Ferguson ’ s investigation into whether Johnson was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including his statements to the public ” as well as to city officials or Ferguson and his staff .
The subpoena , attached as an exhibit to the city ’ s motion , also seeks records that indicate whether Johnson tampered with evidence related to Ferguson ’ s investigation into the superintendent .
City attorneys have sought to block or delay turning over the records , claiming that Smollett ’ s lawyers should not have directly subpoenaed the files from Ferguson ’ s office since the Inspector General ’ s office is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city is a party to the lawsuit .
Smollett ’ s lawyers had insisted on getting the records by Jan. 31 and had discussed with city attorneys getting the records by early February .
Special Prosecutor Daniel Webb has been tasked with reviewing Smollett ’ s case and the decision to drop the charges by prosecutors and could potentially re-charge the actor .
Smollett ’ s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Chicago Sun-Times .

Lawyers defending Jussie Smollett against a city lawsuit have made a sweeping request for records from an internal investigation into former Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson launched after Johnson last year was found asleep at the wheel of a parked vehicle.
City attorneys this week filed a motion seeking to block a subpoena from Smollett’s lawyers to City Inspector General Joe Ferguson’s office asking for “any and all documents or communications relating in any way to your investigation(s) regarding ... Johnson’s conduct” as well as records of the cost of Ferguson’s probe.
The filing was one of the latest in a lawsuit filed against the former “Empire” star seeking to recover approximately $160,000 paid out in overtime during the course of a three-week investigation that began after Smollett reported he’d been attacked near his Streeterville home.
Police later determined Smollett had paid two associates to stage the attack, and Smollett was charged with filing a false police report, with Johnson angrily condemning the actor for besmirching the reputation of the city by filing a false report.
Those charges were abruptly dismissed by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office — prompting public outcry that has led to still-ongoing investigations by both the county Inspector General and a court-appointed Special Prosecutor. Johnson was fired last month by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who said the superintendent misled her in his account of an Oct. 17 incident in which he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car, following a night of heavy drinking with other officers.
The subpoena zeroes in on areas of Ferguson’s investigation into whether Johnson was “untruthful or misleading in any statement, including his statements to the public” as well as to city officials or Ferguson and his staff. The subpoena, attached as an exhibit to the city’s motion, also seeks records that indicate whether Johnson tampered with evidence related to Ferguson’s investigation into the superintendent.
City attorneys have sought to block or delay turning over the records, claiming that Smollett’s lawyers should not have directly subpoenaed the files from Ferguson’s office since the Inspector General’s office is a division of city government and the city is a party to the lawsuit. Smollett’s lawyers had insisted on getting the records by Jan. 31 and had discussed with city attorneys getting the records by early February.
Special Prosecutor Daniel Webb has been tasked with reviewing Smollett’s case and the decision to drop the charges by prosecutors and could potentially re-charge the actor.
Smollett’s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Chicago Sun-Times.


chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--Exploding dye pack trips up bank robber — who is then tied to rapes of 2 teens: prosecutors

In October 2017 , a man kidnapped a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint while she walked to school in Gresham and repeatedly raped , Cook County prosecutors said in court this week .
Four months later , prosecutors say the same man approached an 18-year-old woman at a bus stop a mile away and raped her at gunpoint in a nearby alley .
But it wasn ’ t until March 2018 that 29-year-old Avantay Dorsey was finally taken into custody , authorities said , when he was spotted with red dye on his hands shortly after robbing a Far South Side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would take nearly a year for DNA evidence to link Dorsey to the 13-year-old ’ s attack — and nearly another year to charge him , prosecutors said earlier this week when Dorsey appeared for a hearing in that case on felony counts of kidnapping and criminal sexual assault .
After his arrest , Dorsey was ordered held in federal custody .
He is now being held without bail in connection with both alleged assaults .
About 7 a.m. on the morning of the 2017 attack , the 13-year-old was walking to school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street when Dorsey pulled up to her in a gray SUV and offered her a ride , according to prosecutors .
When the girl refused , Dorsey took out a black handgun and pointed it at her while demanding she get into his SUV , prosecutors said , accusing him of driving away and raping her at two separate locations before dropping her off again near her school .
Four months later , Chicago police said Dorsey approached an 18-year-old woman at 5 a.m on Feb. 22 , 2018 while she was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of South Halsted , forced her into an alley at gunpoint and raped her .
Then , on March 27 , 2018 , Dorsey implied he had a gun and held up a teller at a TCF Bank branch inside a Jewel-Osco at 11730 S. Marshfield Ave. for $ 488 , according to a spokeswoman for the FBI .
The teller included a dye pack with the money , which exploded when he fled and caused Dorsey to drop “ a large amount of cash , ” according to federal court records .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ near 113th Street and Racine Avenue , about a mile away from the bank , according to court records .
They took him into custody when they noticed he matched the robber ’ s description and saw red dye on his hands and pants .
In July 2018 , while facing the federal bank robbery charge , Dorsey was indicted on charges of aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault in the attack on the 18-year-old woman , court records show .
Dorsey has pleaded not guilty in that case , which is still pending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months in federal prison for the bank robbery in August 2018 , according to authorities .
Dorsey has previous convictions for residential burglary and unlawful use of a weapon , court records show .
In February last year , DNA from the girl ’ s sexual assault kit was analyzed and matched to Dorsey , prosecutors said , leading to the most recent charges against him when the girl also identified him a photo array .
An assistant public defender for Dorsey said he was a high school graduate who had completed some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago and previously worked as a forklift operator .
In addition to denying bail for Dorsey , Judge Mary Marubio ordered that he have no contact with anyone under the age of 18 .

In October 2017, a man kidnapped a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint while she walked to school in Gresham and repeatedly raped her, Cook County prosecutors said in court this week.
Four months later, prosecutors say the same man approached an 18-year-old woman at a bus stop a mile away and raped her at gunpoint in a nearby alley.
But it wasn’t until March 2018 that 29-year-old Avantay Dorsey was finally taken into custody, authorities said, when he was spotted with red dye on his hands shortly after robbing a Far South Side bank.
Despite the arrest, it would take nearly a year for DNA evidence to link Dorsey to the 13-year-old’s attack — and nearly another year to charge him, prosecutors said earlier this week when Dorsey appeared for a hearing in that case on felony counts of kidnapping and criminal sexual assault.
After his arrest, Dorsey was ordered held in federal custody. He is now being held without bail in connection with both alleged assaults.
About 7 a.m. on the morning of the 2017 attack, the 13-year-old was walking to school in the 8600 block of South Halsted Street when Dorsey pulled up to her in a gray SUV and offered her a ride, according to prosecutors.
When the girl refused, Dorsey took out a black handgun and pointed it at her while demanding she get into his SUV, prosecutors said, accusing him of driving away and raping her at two separate locations before dropping her off again near her school.
Four months later, Chicago police said Dorsey approached an 18-year-old woman at 5 a.m on Feb. 22, 2018 while she was at a bus stop in the 9500 block of South Halsted, forced her into an alley at gunpoint and raped her.
An image taken from video surveillance of Avantay Dorsey, then 27, during the robbery of a TCF Bank branch on March 27, 2018 at 11730 S. Marshfield Ave. FBI
Then, on March 27, 2018, Dorsey implied he had a gun and held up a teller at a TCF Bank branch inside a Jewel-Osco at 11730 S. Marshfield Ave. for $488, according to a spokeswoman for the FBI.
The teller included a dye pack with the money, which exploded when he fled and caused Dorsey to drop “a large amount of cash,” according to federal court records.
Chicago police officers on patrol spotted Dorsey near 113th Street and Racine Avenue, about a mile away from the bank, according to court records. They took him into custody when they noticed he matched the robber’s description and saw red dye on his hands and pants.
In July 2018, while facing the federal bank robbery charge, Dorsey was indicted on charges of aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault in the attack on the 18-year-old woman, court records show.
Dorsey has pleaded not guilty in that case, which is still pending.
Dorsey was ultimately sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for the bank robbery in August 2018, according to authorities. Dorsey has previous convictions for residential burglary and unlawful use of a weapon, court records show.
In February last year, DNA from the girl’s sexual assault kit was analyzed and matched to Dorsey, prosecutors said, leading to the most recent charges against him when the girl also identified him a photo array.
An assistant public defender for Dorsey said he was a high school graduate who had completed some college, is a lifelong resident of Chicago and previously worked as a forklift operator.
In addition to denying bail for Dorsey, Judge Mary Marubio ordered that he have no contact with anyone under the age of 18.


chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--‘American Dirt’ book tour canceled over security concerns

The publisher of the controversial “ American Dirt ” book has canceled the remainder of author Jeanine Cummins ’ promotional tour , citing concerns for her safety .
The novel about a Mexican mother and her young son fleeing to the U.S. border had been praised widely before its Jan. 21 release and was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club .
But Mexican-American writers , activists and others have criticized “ American Dirt ” for what they argue are stereotypical depictions of Mexicans .
Cummins is of Irish and Puerto Rican background .
” Jeanine Cummins spent five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the intent to shine a spotlight on tragedies facing immigrants , ” Bob Miller , president and publisher of Flatiron Books , said in a statement Wednesday .
“ We are saddened that a work of fiction that was well-intentioned has led to such vitriolic rancor .
“ Unfortunately , our concerns about safety have led us to the difficult decision to cancel the book tour.
” Flatiron tweeted about its pride in the book , calling it “ a novel of enormous power that has already affected the way many readers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s statement went on to say , “ We are carefully listening to the conversation happening around the novel.
” In USA TODAY ’ s own review , Barbara VanDenburgh wrote the novel “ reeks of opportunism , substituting character arcs for mere trauma.
” She went on to say that Cummins ’ author ’ s note attempting to explain why she wrote the book made the situation worse .
“ I was worried that , as a nonimmigrant and non-Mexican , I had no business writing a book set almost entirely in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cummins wrote in the author ’ s note .
“ I wished someone slightly browner than me would write it.
” ” Lots of someones ‘ slightly browner ’ than Cummins did write it , ” VanDenburgh wrote in response , noting several recent examples .
In a video posted to Winfrey ’ s book club Instagram page Monday , Winfrey addressed the backlash after her book club pick was questioned .
“ It ’ s clear that we need to have a different kind of conversation about American Dirt and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our community , ” she captioned the video .
In the video , Winfrey explains she read an advance copy of the book last summer .
” I was deeply moved , it had me riveted from the very first sentence and I could hardly wait , really , to share it with all of you , ” she said .
“ Now , it has become clear to me from the outpouring of , may I say , of very passionate opinions that this selection has struck an emotional chord and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more substantive discussion.
” Despite the criticism , Cummins ’ novel had been selling well and was No .
8 on the Amazon.com best-seller list at the time Flatiron announced the tour was being cut short .
The book debuted at No .
2 on USA TODAY ’ s Best-Selling Books List .
Cummins does have at least one major interview coming up .
On Wednesday , a spokesperson for Winfrey confirmed that Winfrey will meet with the author next month and that the discussion will air in March on Apple TV Plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M Moniuszko , USA TODAY ; The Associated Press

The publisher of the controversial “American Dirt” book has canceled the remainder of author Jeanine Cummins’ promotional tour, citing concerns for her safety.
The novel about a Mexican mother and her young son fleeing to the U.S. border had been praised widely before its Jan. 21 release and was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club. But Mexican-American writers, activists and others have criticized “American Dirt” for what they argue are stereotypical depictions of Mexicans.
Cummins is of Irish and Puerto Rican background.
Flatiron Books via AP
”Jeanine Cummins spent five years of her life writing this book with the intent to shine a spotlight on tragedies facing immigrants,” Bob Miller, president and publisher of Flatiron Books, said in a statement Wednesday. “We are saddened that a work of fiction that was well-intentioned has led to such vitriolic rancor.
“Unfortunately, our concerns about safety have led us to the difficult decision to cancel the book tour.”
Flatiron tweeted about its pride in the book, calling it “a novel of enormous power that has already affected the way many readers see the world.” The publisher’s statement went on to say, “We are carefully listening to the conversation happening around the novel.”
In USA TODAY’s own review, Barbara VanDenburgh wrote the novel “reeks of opportunism, substituting character arcs for mere trauma.” She went on to say that Cummins’ author’s note attempting to explain why she wrote the book made the situation worse.
“I was worried that, as a nonimmigrant and non-Mexican, I had no business writing a book set almost entirely in Mexico, set entirely among immigrants,” Cummins wrote in the author’s note. “I wished someone slightly browner than me would write it.”
”Lots of someones ‘slightly browner’ than Cummins did write it,” VanDenburgh wrote in response, noting several recent examples.
In a video posted to Winfrey’s book club Instagram page Monday, Winfrey addressed the backlash after her book club pick was questioned.
“It’s clear that we need to have a different kind of conversation about American Dirt and we welcome everyone’s thoughts and opinions in our community,” she captioned the video.
In the video, Winfrey explains she read an advance copy of the book last summer.
”I was deeply moved, it had me riveted from the very first sentence and I could hardly wait, really, to share it with all of you,” she said. “Now, it has become clear to me from the outpouring of, may I say, of very passionate opinions that this selection has struck an emotional chord and created a need for a deeper, more substantive discussion.”
Despite the criticism, Cummins’ novel had been selling well and was No. 8 on the Amazon.com best-seller list at the time Flatiron announced the tour was being cut short. The book debuted at No. 2 on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books List.
Cummins does have at least one major interview coming up. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Winfrey confirmed that Winfrey will meet with the author next month and that the discussion will air in March on Apple TV Plus.
Contributing: Erin Jensen and Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Read more at usatoday.com


chicagosuntimes--2020-01-29--Second City Black History Month Show has come a long way, has much to say

When Dionna Griffin-Irons arrived at Second City in 1999 fresh from a three-year stint at Second City Detroit , she noticed something different about Chicago .
“ Why weren ’ t there more people of color taking advantage of this great comedy institution ?
” she wondered .
Coming from the predominantly black neighborhoods of Detroit , “ I wasn ’ t used to that experience.
” The first Black History Month Show , which Griffin-Irons conceived and produced under the title “ WORDS ” in 2002 , was an experiment : two dozen performers assembled from the South , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city for an event marketed by word-of-mouth and staged in the tiny Donny ’ s Skybox Studio Theatre the Second City usually uses for its students .
“ It was an 85 % African American audience , ” she recalls .
Small though it was , Second City co-owner and producer Andrew Alexander took note and wanted more .
The grassroots show was the catalyst that launched the expansion of Second City ’ s diversity , inclusion and outreach programs from annual workshops to year-round programming under Griffin-Irons ’ leadership .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touchstone production from year to year .
This year ’ s director , Ali Barthwell , a writer , educator , and performer , hails from Second City ’ s outreach initiatives as a former instructor in its After School Matters program before rising through the ranks as an NBC Bob Curry Fellow , an actor in the Second City touring company , and the first black woman to graduate from Second City ’ s directorial training program .
A River Forest native who attended a predominantly white college , Barthwell is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I knew I wanted to perform at Second City because I saw another black woman doing it , ” Barthwell recalls .
“ I was a college student taking improv classes for fun , and I went to see a show and Amber Ruffin [ currently a writer on “ Late Night with Seth Meyers ” — and the first black woman to write for a late-night network TV show ] was singing a song , and I thought , ‘ I relate to that !
People will want to laugh at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do this !
’ ” Barthwell is keenly aware of the progressive origins of improv and sketch comedy .
“ The roots of improvisation are in social work and are defined by Chicago immigrants , the landscape and structure of the city , and the parks in every neighborhood where people could gather , ” says Barthwell , explaining that the density of diverse immigrant populations and the unique opportunity to gather in Chicago ’ s park fieldhouses in the early 1900s resulted in a new form of play when sociologist Neva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to encourage immigrant children to connect in the absence of shared language .
“ Boyd worked with another woman named Viola Spolin who helped develop more techniques and games .
Her son , a University of Chicago student , said , ‘ What if we take these games children play and put them onstage and perform them as theater ?
’ ” The result became Second City — but , notes Barthwell , “ Improv was started by women for social justice .
Politics have been there since the beginning.
” Furthermore , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and necessary expression of black identity .
“ Black experience is frequently satirical , because we are constantly having to think about the opinions of people who might hate us , and we perform them .
If everyone around you is white , you might have to perform their opinions for them to accept you .
And then we perform again for each other , mocking them as a release valve of that tension of how we go through the world .
So we ’ re constantly commenting on society and looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fit .
“ As a teacher and a director , self-expression and helping my cast and students tell their stories and share their points of view has been a big inspiration for why I find this work so satisfying , ” Barthwell continues .
“ And opening the door by beginning with laughter , we can draw others a little closer .
”

When Dionna Griffin-Irons arrived at Second City in 1999 fresh from a three-year stint at Second City Detroit, she noticed something different about Chicago.
“Why weren’t there more people of color taking advantage of this great comedy institution?” she wondered.
Coming from the predominantly black neighborhoods of Detroit, “I wasn’t used to that experience.”
The first Black History Month Show, which Griffin-Irons conceived and produced under the title “WORDS” in 2002, was an experiment: two dozen performers assembled from the South, West, and North sides of the city for an event marketed by word-of-mouth and staged in the tiny Donny’s Skybox Studio Theatre the Second City usually uses for its students.
“It was an 85% African American audience,” she recalls. Small though it was, Second City co-owner and producer Andrew Alexander took note and wanted more. The grassroots show was the catalyst that launched the expansion of Second City’s diversity, inclusion and outreach programs from annual workshops to year-round programming under Griffin-Irons’ leadership. And the Black History Month Show has remained a touchstone production from year to year.
Untitled Second City’s Black History Month Show When: To March 11 Where: UP Comedy Club, 230 W. North Tickets: $20 Info: secondcity.com
This year’s director, Ali Barthwell, a writer, educator, and performer, hails from Second City’s outreach initiatives as a former instructor in its After School Matters program before rising through the ranks as an NBC Bob Curry Fellow, an actor in the Second City touring company, and the first black woman to graduate from Second City’s directorial training program. A River Forest native who attended a predominantly white college, Barthwell is no stranger to the power of representation.
“I knew I wanted to perform at Second City because I saw another black woman doing it,” Barthwell recalls. “I was a college student taking improv classes for fun, and I went to see a show and Amber Ruffin [currently a writer on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” — and the first black woman to write for a late-night network TV show] was singing a song, and I thought, ‘I relate to that! People will want to laugh at that! Oh my God, I can do this!’”
Barthwell is keenly aware of the progressive origins of improv and sketch comedy.
“The roots of improvisation are in social work and are defined by Chicago immigrants, the landscape and structure of the city, and the parks in every neighborhood where people could gather,” says Barthwell, explaining that the density of diverse immigrant populations and the unique opportunity to gather in Chicago’s park fieldhouses in the early 1900s resulted in a new form of play when sociologist Neva Boyd began a program of noncompetitive games to encourage immigrant children to connect in the absence of shared language.
“Boyd worked with another woman named Viola Spolin who helped develop more techniques and games. Her son, a University of Chicago student, said, ‘What if we take these games children play and put them onstage and perform them as theater?’” The result became Second City — but, notes Barthwell, “Improv was started by women for social justice. Politics have been there since the beginning.”
Furthermore, Barthwell suggests, comedy is a natural and necessary expression of black identity.
“Black experience is frequently satirical, because we are constantly having to think about the opinions of people who might hate us, and we perform them. If everyone around you is white, you might have to perform their opinions for them to accept you. And then we perform again for each other, mocking them as a release valve of that tension of how we go through the world. So we’re constantly commenting on society and looking at how we fit or don’t fit.
“As a teacher and a director, self-expression and helping my cast and students tell their stories and share their points of view has been a big inspiration for why I find this work so satisfying,” Barthwell continues. “And opening the door by beginning with laughter, we can draw others a little closer.”
Irene Hsiao is a local freelance writer.