Allegations:
White, an African-American music director and producer, walked from his home in the South Chicago neighborhood to a convenience store to buy food and drinks. Earlier in the day, a 911 call had alerted police to a burglary in the neighborhood. Officers Chudy and Wake pulled up to White, got out of their vehicle and instructed him to put his hands on the hood of their squad car. He complied, and the officers searched him. The officers did not find anything linking him to the burglary, but they asked him about his whereabouts earlier that day and whether he had ever been arrested. He replied, "Why don't you just look it up." Upset by his response, the officers handcuffed him. Officers Griffin and Colucci, who were driving the burglary witness, drove her pass White and shined a light on him for approximately 10 seconds. The witness observed that White was handcuffed and surrounded by uniform police officers. Based on this unreliable identification, the officers arrested White for the burglary. He was indicted for residential burglary and burglary, both felonies. White spent months in Cook County Jail before his bond was reduced, and he was able to pay for his release. The witness later recanted her identification of White, and the felony charges were dismissed.