10 | CHICAGO SUN-TIMES | SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011

Alvarez asked for independent probe of man who died after hit by Daley kin
The Illinois State Police agreed Friday to review the Chicago Police Departments investigation of the 2004 homicide of David Koschman, who died of brain injuries from a fall after he was punched in the face by Richard J. R.J. Vanecko, a nephew of Mayor Daley and of White House Chief of Staff William Daley. A request for the state investigation had come Thursday from Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez. She said she wanted an outside, independent police agency to probe Koschmans case since witnesses say detectives wrongly portrayed the 5-foot-5, 140-pound Koschman as the aggressor in a confrontation after a night of barhopping on Rush Street. Alvarez said her office shouldnt be the agency to examine the police investigation because her staff has been involved in the case from the start, determining in 2004 that there wasnt enough evidence to warrant filing charges against the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Vanecko.

State Police to review Koschman investigation

BY TIM NOVAK AND FRANK MAIN
Staff Reporters

Hillard boosting patrol officers

400 plainclothes members going back to uniforms
BY FRANK MAIN AND FRAN SPIELMAN
Staff Reporters

Alvarezs deputy chief of investigations, Hiram Grau, was appointed by Gov. Quinn on Friday as the new director of the Illinois State Police. When Koschman died in 2004, Grau was deputy superintendent of the Chicago Police Departments bureau of investigative services, which oversees all detectives. Grau left the department in 2008. Grau couldnt be reached for comment Friday. The State Police issued this statement: Hiram Graus first day with the Illinois State Police is April 11, and he is not available for an interview until after that time. While he was not personally involved in CPDs investigation of the 2004 incident, out of an abundance of caution, Mr. Grau will be recusing himself from the State Polices review of the matter. The primary purpose of the states attorneys offices request and of our review will be investigating the 2004 incident. Part of that review will be evaluating the evidence and what further investigatory steps by ISP are required. Interim Chicago Police Supt. Terry Hillard said Friday his staff will cooperate with the state investigation. The Chicago Police Department closed this case, and we have nothing further to add at this time but will cooperate with whatever process is identified by the states attorneys office and her staff, Hill-

Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard at police headquarters Friday. | RICHARD A. CHAPMAN~SUN-TIMES
ard said. Asked whether the State Police review of the Koschman investigation could be impartial with Grau now in charge, Hillard said only: Hes a friend of mine. Youll have to ask the State Police and the states attorneys office about that one. Koschman died May 6, 2004 11 days after he was punched in the face and knocked to the street. Koschman, a 21-year-old from Mount Prospect, and a group of his friends had been arguing with Vanecko and a group of his friends. The argument ended when Vanecko threw the only punch, and then ran away, according to the police, who decided that Vanecko acted in selfdefense. They dropped their initial investigation soon after Koschmans death and then formally closed the case March 1, after a new review of the evidence. They say they didnt file charges for two reasons: Witnesses including four Koschman friends didnt identify Vanecko in police lineups held 25 days after the confrontation. The police say Koschmans friends and other witnesses told detectives Koschman was being physically aggressive when he got punched an assertion Koschmans friends dispute.

Former Chicago cop, Alvarez aide to run State Police

BY DAVE MCKINNEY
Springfield Bureau Chief dmckinney@suntimes.com

Gov. Quinn on Friday appointed a former Chicago cop and highranking aide to Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez to head the Illinois State Police. Hiram Grau will fill the post vacated in February by Jonathan Monken, who was Quinns 2009 choice to head the state law-enforcement agency but was moved to the

Illinois Emergency Management Agency after being unable to win Senate confirmation as State Police director. Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed on Tuesday first reported that Grau was Quinns pick to lead the department. Grau is a 27-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department and had been mentioned as an interim successor to former Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis, who stepped down earlier this month.

Grau, who had been a finalist for Chicagos top police job when Weis was hired, had been a street patrolman, sergeant, lieutenant, commander and first deputy within Chicagos police department. In 2008, Alvarez appointed Grau to be the No. 2 in command in the states attorneys investigations bureau. Grau will take over the State Police on April 11 but still must win Senate confirmation.

Hiram Grau has been second in command in the states attorneys investigations bureau since 2008.
| JOHN J. KIM ~ SUN-TIMES FILE

Calling patrol officers the backbone of the Chicago Police Department, interim Supt. Terry Hillard announced Friday he is putting 400 plainclothes tactical and gang-enforcement officers into uniform and moving another 70 officers from a special gun units to beat cars. Hillard said the changes are a normal preparation for the warmer months when shootings rise. But his focus on strengthening the patrol division marks a philosophical difference with his predecessor, former police Supt. Jody Weis, who beefed up special plainclothes citywide units to flood crime hot spots with cops. At the end of the day, patrol is the backbone of this police department, Hillard said. Patrol are the ones who answer those calls for service. Just like in the military, every other unit supports the infantry. Sources told the Chicago SunTimes earlier this week that Hillard also was considering moving 100 officers from the plainclothes Mobile Strike Force to patrol. The unit was one of Weis creations. Hillard said the Mobile Strike Force is not affected yet, but they could be at any time. You get a spike [in crime], theyre in uniform. Chief of Patrol Eugene Williams said the freed-up officers will work in high-crime areas. Black aldermen have said they want the extra cops deployed to their police districts on the South and West Sides. On Friday, Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel said Hillard did not clear the changes with him. But he was gung-ho about the idea of reassigning cops from specialized units to undermanned districts. Superintendent Hillard is following a philosophy that defined his tenure, Emanuel said. I applaud that philosophy. ... Not that those specialized units arent doing important work. But the basis of fighting crime on our streets and in our neighborhoods is done with the beat officer. The police union also has called for the department to strengthen district law enforcement.