Escaping and Embracing the Cops of Chicago (first written in May 1968)
Introduction
On April 29th, 1968, I was severely beaten by two plainclothes Chicago Cops at 79thand South Shore Drive. I was handcuffed, thrown like a side of beef into what used to be called a “paddy-wagon”, tho’ no more. I was taken to a police station, fingerprinted, charged and put in a jail cell. What happened in the Police Station was stunning and more surreal than the beating. This story takes the reader into the dark heart of the Chicago Machine. The language is blunt, racist, honest, and a piece of my life that hasn’t receded over the last 54 years.