Chicago Police Under Fire

Another big city police department is under fire for alleged police brutality. This time it's Chicago, over the unexplained shooting deaths of two unarmed African Americans.

Newly released police dispatch tapes appear to confirm a Chicago police officer may have made a serious error in judgement in what began as a traffic stop.

"Can I get an ambulance, somebody's just been shot out here," a voice on the dispatch tape says.

"What's he wanted for? If he's just wanted for traffic then tell them to stop the chase," another voice says.

But the chase wasn't halted, and two minutes later Latanya Haggerty was killed when a rookie cop fired at the 26-year-old computer analyst, mistaking a cell phone for a gun.

Vera Love's son was supposed to graduate from Northwestern University Friday, but two weeks ago, Robert Russ was killed after police say he tried to grab an officer's gun during a traffic stop. The gun went off and Russ was shot in the heart.

"My heart is missing a vital part of my life," said Vera Love.

Even though both victims were shot by African American police officers, community leaders say there is a long-standing pattern of excessive force used against blacks, reports CBS News Correspondent Maureen Maher.

"There is a dirty veil of silence, an evil thin blue line that lies between police officers and public accountability," said Kristie Abrianass of Neighbors Against Police Brutality.

But the city's mayor, Richard Daley, warns against pulling his officers into a national debate.

"There's not one of them out there that that wants to commit police brutality and beating up people," Daley said. "You cannot portray those men and women like that."

Seven officers are now under investigation in these two cases, and Friday the Chicago coroner ruled the death of another man in police custody a homicide. That, in addition to a justice dept inquiry could make this a long hot summer for a police department already feeling the heat.