The Chicago Police Department denied a report in a British newspaper that it maintains "an off-the-books interrogation compound" known as Homan Square, "the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site."
The Chicago Tribune reported that the original story,
published Tuesday by The Guardian U.K., alleged that police at Homen Square were keeping detainees out of booking databases, beating detainees, denying attorneys access to their detained clients, and holding people without legal counsel for up to 24 hours.
In response, department spokesman Martin Maloney said that the allegations were false.
"There are always records of anyone who is arrested by CPD, and this is not any different at Homan Square," he said. "The allegation that physical violence is a part of interviews with suspects is unequivocally false. It is offensive, and it is not supported by any facts whatsoever."
He went on to say that Homan Square is not a secretive site, that it is widely known.
"CPD abides by all laws, rules, and guidelines pertaining to any interviews of suspects or witnesses, at Homan Square or any other CPD facility," he explained.
"If lawyers have a client detained at Homan Square, just like any other facility, they are allowed to speak to and visit them. It also houses CPD's Evidence Recovered Property Section, where the public is able to claim inventoried property."
The story that appeared in The Guardian quoted Brian Church, of the so-called "NATO 3," who appeared to be the main source for the story. He claimed that he was handcuffed for 17 hours and interrogated without being given access to a lawyer.
Church and two others were arrested and eventually convicted on explosives charges and sentenced to more than five years in prison after they made crude Molotov cocktails ahead of the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago.