DeepSummary
This episode recounts the remarkable story of Russ Ewing, a black television news reporter in Chicago who, over several decades, helped facilitate the surrender of more than 100 criminal suspects to the police. In a city plagued by police brutality and torture of black suspects under the notorious commander John Burge, Ewing's unique role allowed people to turn themselves in without fear of being beaten or mistreated.
Ewing would sometimes spend hours convincing suspects to surrender, assuring them that he would remain by their side until they were safely processed. He gained the trust of the community as someone who could be counted on to treat the accused with dignity and ensure they would not be abused. From taking suspects across state lines in his own plane to shooting a gun with one to build rapport, Ewing's unorthodox methods made a profound impact.
Through candid interviews with Ewing's colleagues and public defenders, the episode illustrates how his steadfast commitment to justice and humane treatment stood in stark contrast to the widespread abuses occurring behind closed doors. Ewing's actions shone a light on police misconduct and made the system more accountable simply by witnessing these surrenders.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Russ Ewing, a black TV reporter in Chicago, facilitated the surrender of over 100 criminal suspects to police over several decades.
- Ewing gained the trust of suspects by assuring them he would protect them from police brutality and torture during surrenders.
- His actions shone a light on widespread police misconduct and torture of black suspects under commander John Burge.
- Ewing's presence and witnessing of surrenders made the system more accountable and prevented mistreatment of suspects.
- His unorthodox methods like flying suspects across states in his plane reflected his deep commitment to human dignity.
- Ewing stood in stark contrast to an era of extreme racism and abuse within the Chicago Police Department.
- His colleagues described him as a unique, down-to-earth reporter who did "real stories" that are now a bygone era.
- Ewing's philosophy of "any kind of living is better than any kind of dying" convinced many to surrender peacefully.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Any kind of living is better than any kind of dying. And they respond to that sometimes.“ by Russ Ewing
- “I had promised that I would stay at his side all the way, and I had promised that police would not use handcuffs all the way to police headquarters.“ by Russ Ewing
- “He could bring in somebody who did the worst crime imaginable and still respect the humanness of that person and still, in fact, expect the system to treat that person as it did in its compact with its citizens.“ by Mary Jane Playsek
Entities
Company
Product
Person
Episode Information
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network
2/16/24