Chicago Police Officer Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Violations

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Northern District of Illinois
28 August 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO — A federal jury today convicted a Chicago police officer of federal civil rights violations for using unreasonable force against two individuals while on duty.

MARCO PROANO was convicted on both counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. Proano used unreasonable force with his service weapon while on duty as an officer of the Chicago Police Department on Dec. 22, 2013. Proano fired 16 shots into a vehicle that contained numerous people, wounding two individuals who suffered bodily injuries as a result of the unreasonable force.

The jury returned its verdict against Proano, of Chicago, after a week-long trial in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman.

The conviction was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Each count of the indictment is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Judge Feinerman scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 20, 2017, at 2:00 p.m.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia Alexakis and Erika Csicsila.