I was thirty years old when the Wilson brothers assassinated Officers Fahey and O'Brien - it was in February, 1982 and took place two blocks from Leo High School. Only days before another Chicago Police Officer was murdered - Fahey and O'Brien were returning from Officer Doyle's funeral, I believe. I know Fahey's brothers. I am now 58 years old and former Commander Jon Burge has been sentenced well-above the Federal Maximum standard for perjury and obstruction of Justice by Judge Joan Lefkow,
Jon Burge was known as a 'stand-up' cop and Commander. I know officers who served with and for Jon Burge - none of them have been in any way implicated in the alleged torture of criminals.
I have followed this Gordian Knot of rhetoric, legal legerdemain, and orchestration of the Media, politicians and the public, as a teacher in Kankakee, Indiana and Chicago. The most vocal and vociferous "Get Burge" voices that I have encountered belong to people unborn at the time that Officers Fahey and O'Brien were assassinated and urinated upon by the brothers Wilson. Those voices ape the script prepared by G. Flint Taylor, legal bottom feeder and arch-manipulator of lazy and self-satisfied media people. G. Flint Taylor, it seems to me, has patiently albeit obnoxiously pulled all of the strings in this Gordian Knot - wrapped in the core is the truth.
I believe that in years to come, the truth will out, as it always must. Jon Burge stood up in court and took his sentence. Unlike the judge who went over and above the sentencing guidelines in order to placate a public gorged and sated by the endless rhetorical stuffings by G. Flint Taylor, I do not believe that Jon Burge engineered systemic torture of African Americans.
This I do know - two men were assassinated*, Jon Burge caught their killers and G. Flint Taylor made millions of dollars by undermining any and all confidence in Law.
Truth will out. G. Flint Taylor will overplay his hand and the court documents suppressed over the last three decades at Taylor's demand will surface. I also believe that the career criminals that he has enriched and made into media props will want more from Taylor and Taylor does not give. Ask Gator Bradley.
Time and truth.
*
Patrolman William P. Fahey
Chicago Police Department
Illinois
End of Watch: Wednesday, February 10, 1982
Biographical Info
Age: 34
Tour of Duty: 12 years
Badge Number: 4194
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, February 9, 1982
Weapon Used: Handgun; .357 caliber
Suspect Info: Death Sentence. Commuted
Patrolmen William P. Fahey and Richard J. O'Brien were gunned down during a traffic stop.
Hours after attending the funeral of fellow officer James Doyle, Officers Fahey and O’Brien made a traffic stop. At 2:00 p.m., Fahey and O’Brien observed a late model Chevrolet go through a red light at 81st and Morgan Streets.
Patrolman Richard O’Brien, who was driving the squad car, approached the driver’s side of the car while Officer William Fahey approached the passenger side. Officer Fahey ordered the passenger out and patted him down for a weapon. As he was attempting to handcuff the passenger, the suspect gained control of Fahey’s .357 Magnum revolver, whirled around and fired at close range. The bullet struck William Fahey behind the left ear.
The assailant swung and fired a shot across the trunk of the car, firing two shots point-blank at Officer Richard O’Brien, striking him in the left arm and left hip. One of the men in the vehicle then disarmed O’Brien and the duo fled the scene
Help was first summoned to the scene when a voice was heard over the police radio system: “Emergency! Emergency! Two policemen have been shot at 81st and Morgan”. It was later learned to be the voice of a witness to the shooting who ran to the squad car and grabbed the microphone when he saw the officers fall.
Patrolman O’Brien died a short time after the shooting at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park. Patrolman William Fahey died the following morning at 11:14 a.m. without regaining consciousness.
Both officers were assigned to the Gang Crimes South Unit however, they were not regular partners. O’Brien’s regular partner was off sick, and Fahey’s was filling in on a desk job for a furloughed policeman.
Patrolman William P. Fahey was a 10-year veteran of the department. During his tenure, he received 19 honorable mentions and numerous letters of appreciation. He is survived by his wife and three children.
The funeral mass for Patrolman Fahey was held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 13th in Queen of the Universe Catholic Church at 7130 South Hamlin Avenue.
The killers were apprehended, convicted and sentenced to death. On January 10, 2003, the governor at the time, George Ryan commuted their sentences, along with those of all 164 other inmates on death row, to life in prison.
Patrolman Richard James O'Brien
Chicago Police Department
Illinois
End of Watch: Tuesday, February 9, 1982
Biographical Info
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Badge Number: 5337
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, February 9, 1982
Weapon Used: Handgun; .357 caliber
Suspect Info: Death sentence. Commuted.
Patrolmen Richard James O'Brien and William Fahey were gunned down during a traffic stop.
Hours after attending the funeral of fellow officer James Doyle, Officers O’Brien and Fahey made a traffic stop. At 2:00 p.m., O’Brien and Fahey observed a late model Chevrolet go through a red light at 81st and Morgan Streets.
Patrolman Richard O’Brien, who was driving the squad car, approached the driver’s side of the car while Officer William Fahey approached the passenger side. Officer Fahey ordered the passenger out and patted him down for a weapon. As he was attempting to handcuff the passenger, the suspect gained control of Fahey’s .357 Magnum revolver, whirled around and fired one at close range. The bullet struck William Fahey behind the left ear.
The assailant swung and fired a shot across the trunk of the car, firing two shots point-blank at Patrolman O’Brien, striking him in the left arm and left hip. One of the men in the vehicle then disarmed O’Brien and the duo fled the scene
Help was first summoned to the scene when a voice was heard over the police radio system: “Emergency! Emergency! Two policemen have been shot at 81st and Morgan”. It was later learned to be the voice of a witness to the shooting who ran to the squad car and grabbed the microphone when he saw the officers fall.
Patrolman O’Brien died a short time after the shooting at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park. Patrolman William Fahey died the following morning at 11:14 a.m. without regaining consciousness.
Both officers were assigned to the Gang Crimes South Unit however, they were not regular partners. O’Brien’s regular partner was off sick, and Fahey’s was filling in on a desk job for a furloughed policeman.
Patrolman Richard J. O’Brien was a 9-year veteran of the department. During his tenure, he received 6 honorable mentions and numerous letters of appreciation. He is the son of a former Chicago Police Sergeant and is survived by his mother.
The funeral mass for Patrolman O’Brien was held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 12th in St. Denis Catholic Church, 8301 S. St. Louis Avenue, the same church where services were held on the day of the shooting for Officer James E. Doyle.
The killers were apprehended, convicted and sentenced to death. On January 10, 2003, the governor at the time, George Ryan commuted their sentences, along with those of all 164 other inmates on death row, to life in prison.
3 comments:
For those journalists who have been disinclined so far to get off their duffs, I suggest that they do so and read pages 58 through 67 of Andre Council's 10/22/04 sworn deposition in which Council testifies that an officer of the court and a private investigator sought unsuccessfully to get him to change his testimony in an upcoming civil case filed by M. Hobley.
Case # 03C3678, M. Hobley vs. Chicago Police Commander John Burge et al
My respects Mr. Crawford. Your work earned you a share of the Pulitzer in the 1970's.
It is too bad that our contemporary news hounds are content to absorb prefabricated story lines and 'run with them.'
Time and truth will out . . .slowly.
btw - William B..Crawford,Jr. is a former Chicago Tribune reporter who won the Pulitzer Prize for local investigations. He later served as Vice President of Communications for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange before cofounding a public relations / crisis management firm that represented area universities, candidates for public office, LaSalle Street financial firms and other corporate entities.
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