Officer Herrera Goes Public

Indicted Chicago Police Officer Tells 60 Minutes His "Bosses" Knew Of And Encouraged Lies

(CBS)  When seven of the Chicago Police Department's most elite cops were charged with crimes including armed robbery, aggravated kidnapping and home invasion- and one of them was even accused of planning a murder-the nation's second largest police force was thrown into turmoil.

They were members of a unit known as "SOS," the Special Operations Section, the department's answer to violence that once made Chicago the murder capital of the country. But what 60 Minutes has learned paints a disturbing picture of a chain of command that put such a premium on getting guns and drugs off the streets that officers felt justified breaking the law to do so.

One of those indicted officers is 30-year-old Keith Herrera. He's been telling his story in private to federal investigators. Now, out on bail, he tells it publicly to Katie Couric and takes 60 Minutes inside a world where cops who did so much good ended up accused of doing so much wrong.

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Prosecutors have said Herrera and his partners were bold, brazen and malicious. His response?

"I say I was doin' my job. I went to work every day, put my star on, put my gun on and got the bad guys off the street," he tells Couric. "I was doing my job and I was told I was doing a good job."

Until a year and a half ago, Herrera was a rising star in the Special Operations Section. But his promising career collapsed when he and six of his partners were accused of terrorizing the very streets they were policing-busting into homes without warrants, making illegal arrests, and holding people hostage until they handed over guns and drugs-all at a time the SOS unit had virtual autonomy in Chicago's worst neighborhoods.

Asked what his marching orders were, Herrera says, "Get the guns, and get the drugs off the street. No matter what. At any cost. Just get 'em off."

Herrera says the mandate from his bosses was clear: the ends justify the means. SOS hauled in big caches of weapons and drugs, and across the city, the crime rate plummeted.

"Policing the way we did it, there were just certain steps that you had to take," Herrera says. "We're dealing with convicted felons, we're dealing with bad people, we're dealing with drug dealers. If you want these people to go to jail, you have to cross the line sometimes."

Asked what his supervisors thought of his techniques, Herrera tells Couric, "Keep it up. Long as you got the guns, long as you got the drugs, long as you're getting the bad guys, keep it up.' And if they tell you 'Keep it up,' you keep it up."

He says it was like making a deal with the devil. For example, if a suspect tossed a gun to avoid arrest, Herrera says it was obvious how to make the case stick: lie, and say the gun never left the suspect's hand.

"Do you want that guy that's running down the street, that just shot somebody to not go to jail 'cause he threw the gun? Or do you want him to go to jail because he never let the gun out of his hand? He knows what he's gotta do, and I know what I gotta do," Herrera says.

"I get it. But it's also making stuff up," Couric points out.

"It's not making stuff up, it's doing what you gotta do to put bad guys in jail," Herrera argues.

"Changing the story," Couric remarks.

"It happens. That's all I can tell you," Herrera says.

"So there are no Boy Scout police officers doing it by the book out there?" Couric asks.

"Maybe," Herrera says. "This isn't, you know, Podunk, Iowa. This is the city of Chicago. You gotta do a job."

[tommyguntwo]

Journalists are you?

Flabbergasted that cops break the law?

The culture of elitism goes all the way to the top. Daley is one of the most strident gun control mayors in the nation yet to help out another elitist he supports a law just fot the elite. And this in the face of rising crime and murder.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/960265,CST-NWS-mell21-web.article

Why wouldn''t cops think they are above the law when they have such fine examples in Daley and Mell?

You need to read the article closely to see that the amnesty will not do what they use as justification and will affect only Mell.

A journalist worth his salt wouldn''t have missed such an obvious fact and couldn''t be caught staring open mouthed in wonder at cops following the play book.

[tommyguntwo]

Journalists are you?

Flabbergasted that cops break the law?

The culture of elitism goes all the way to the top. Daley is one of the most strident gun control mayors in the nation yet to help out another elitist he supports a law just fot the elite. And this in the face of rising crime and murder.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/960265,CST-NWS-mell21-web.article

Why wouldn''t cops think they are above the law when they have such fine examples in Daley and Mell?

You need to read the article closely to see that the amnesty will not do what they use as justification and will affect only Mell.

A journalist worth his salt wouldn''t have missed such an obvious fact and couldn''t be caught staring open mouthed in wonder at cops following the play book.

[apachegirl1]

In response to patriot12436: I do know about Herrera.. He will still be doing the time & if you think 30 years is light well you''re wrong. No deals were made I know this & that''s all I can say on this topic. He did the right thing by going public & for working with the FBI. He was strong enough to come forth for his fellow officers & their families. If he didn''t well the subject of 4 police officers being murdered would be the topic today. You think? Beleive me when I say I KNOW KEITH HERRERA''S CASE..

[nanging3]

Is everyone in Chicago so controversial ?

Obama
Wright
Farrahkan
Ayers
Dorn

[nanging3]

Petition to remove Pfleger at

www.thepetitionsite.com/1/removable-
of-father-michael-pfleger

[smurfcrusher]

One man stands to collect $4 million after a jury found two officers liable for sodomizing him with a screwdriver.

That''s screwed up. Someone clearly has some screws loose, but in the top, not the bottom.

[patriot12436]

winsor1 and diatreme
As tempting as it might be to bend or break the rules, staying on the right side of the rule book is the difference between the bad guys and the police. You can''t imagine how frustrating this can be for a police officer at times but we have to maintain our standard and our honor.

[patriot12436]

questzalcrist
Next time you need the police to save your butt, call a monkey.

[patriot12436]

REDTAZ73
Didn''t i arrest you somewhere before, probably more than once. I would refer a cop with a badge be a gangster than these wanna be gangbangers .

[patriot12436]

apachegirl1
It is spelled LIAR, NOT LAIR.

[patriot12436]

fedupwithpols
How many police do you actually know. Your comment about police being currupt only shows your lack of knowledge. Maybe you are the type they were arresting.There is bad in all groups. They caught this group and are prosecuting them. Who do you think caught them, bad cops ? Be reasonable. most police are honesdt hard working citizens like yourself that only want to do the job right. My law professor in college stressed that we must maintain out integrity above all else. He was right. I never met a cop who took the job to make big money, unless he planned on doing crimes. I put my own partner in Leavenworth for this reason.

[patriot12436]

apachegirl1
You know nothing about Herrara. He is making a deal with the DA to testify so he will get off lighter than the others. AMCPD2 has been there and knows what it is all about. You do not have the experience in this area to know what you are talking about.

[memerider]

And Chicago wants to disarm ordinary law-abiding citizens? They need to issue guns to the citizens and train them all in gun safety and shooting skills. Since the police not only have no duty to protect you, as the Supreme Court ruled, and the police themselves ARE the criminals, the citizens are Chicago''s only hope.

[apacherights]

I wasn''t going to comment, because it lacks intelligence. He who lives in glass houses shouldn''t throw stones...

You say good coppers always spot bad ones... well how would you know? Watch it!

Posted by lean12 at 03:57 PM : Jun 02, 2008
These guys are going to have so much fun in jail, sodomy with a screwdriver sounds horrific but I bet the cons in whatever hole they end up in can come up with something a whole lot worse for these particular ***, and they deserve everything that''''s coming too them! Posted by lean12 at 03:56 PM : Jun 02, 2008
Herrera is a criminal. He was dirty from day one. He only told his version of the story because he lost his way in the dept and thinks this might help him out of a long, long jail term.

[apacherights]

response to tee-en-ay ...

Your right it is the tip of the iceberg.. The end results are within the truth and right or wrong the truth is told.

In the positions they find themselves, and when your in it all, the questions are, you either do as your told or you may end up hurt.

The story Kieth told was all in truth, we as a people know this through experience... dealing with cops and the bad guy in one way or another.

The system was that way long before he came along, and he just confirmed it by doing the interview. It takes a lot to speak the truth.

But I can say for a fact Keith not alone there are those that will stand behind him, and watch his back... Keith has a strong family. He''s got a lot of friends and family that will be here and never ever let anything happen to him...


Posted by tee-en-ay at 02:37 PM

Baloney. This is the tipp of the iceberg, and he fell into the fallacy of groupthink, where a group or organization believes they are infallible. The system was this way long before he came along. He better look out for himself, because noone else will.

[apachegirl1]

In response to lean12 : So what you are saying is that you know what goes on in Jail? I see you been there done that! HUH? GET A LIFE MORON!!!! OR MAYBE YET GO BACK TO JAIL YOU LIKE THAT FUN STUFF DON''T YOU...

[apachegirl1]

In response to rudy654: Why nail this guy to the cross he''s the one who came forth I beleive he has more courage then most of you cops & people that are writing bad *** on this comment blog.. Beleive me there are alot of people out there who has his back.. He has risk his life more than once & I''m sure he will do it again.. What you? Not!!!

[apacherights]

I guess your saying you can''t break the law anymore huh? Bad Apple, maybe you should have a look at yourself before you judge this one.. Cause the truth was always there. I think this guy just confirmed what we all know ... face the facts your busted.

This bad apple ruined the rest of the bushel. Only time will heal the very bad wound.

[apachegirl1]

in response to tee-en-ay : See you don''t see the whole picture here... Again you are not in his shoes & you can''t tell me if your life was on the line you wouldn''t do the same.. So shut up.. You know nothing.. Again he just saved some lives & familes involve.. moron.... Plus you can''t tell me that you never did wrong.. Judith...

[rudy654-2009]

This bad apple ruined the rest of the bushel. Only time will heal the very bad wound.


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Posted by tee-en-ay at 02:37 PM

Baloney. This is the tipp of the iceberg, and he fell into the fallacy of groupthink, where a group or organization believes they are infallible. The system was this way long before he came along. He better look out for himself, because noone else will.