March 3, 2000

Trial by Torture

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Cannon's diagram of police torture.

~

Darrell Cannon’s diagram of his alleged torture at the hands of Chicago police is being used by investigators into his case, and the cases of other prisoners who claim to have been tortured into confessing to crimes.

The diagram reads (clockwise from upper left):

  • (arrow pointing to officer in the car) “Bending down in car Officer Grunhard”

  • (arrow to officer’s left arm) “Holding my handcuff (sic) arms above my head in the back seat of the detective car”

  • (arrow to car) “Front of the car, which is light blue”

  • (arrow to “officer Byrne”) “This officer had the cattle prod in his hand shocking me with electric shock’s (sic)”

  • (arrow to officer to the right of Byrne) “Other officer with his feet on top of my feet to keep me from kicking my leg up”

  • (pointing to the cattle prod) “Cattle prod”

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Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein

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It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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