Criminal
Call Russ Ewing
Feb 16, 2024
Russ Ewing, a TV news reporter, shares stories of standing beside over 100 people as they surrendered to the police, including negotiating with a mental patient holding hostages. He discusses the risks he faced and the importance of helping people surrender safely.
33:33
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Quick takeaways
- Russ Ewing, a black television reporter in Chicago during the 1970s and 80s, played a unique role in facilitating the safe surrender of over a hundred accused criminals, providing them with protection from police violence.
- Russ Ewing's dedication to exposing injustice went beyond his role as a reporter. He used his airplane to retrieve fugitives who were ready to surrender, ensuring their safety and humanizing those accused of crimes.
Deep dives
Exposing Police Brutality and Torture
During the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s, Detective Commander John Burge and a group of rogue detectives in Chicago were accused of torturing over a hundred suspects, mainly black men, into confessing to crimes. These abuses included attaching electrodes to genitals and other violent methods. Despite the documented evidence, Burge was only convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury, as the statute of limitations for torture had expired. The city of Chicago paid millions in reparations to the victims, highlighting the extent of police abuse.
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