A Chicago police officer who operated undercover and helped the police department target the “NATO 3,” who face terrorism and other felony conspiracy charges, returned to the stand. It was the second day in the trial. Recordings of conversations the officer had with the defendants and her partner were played throughout the day.
Brian Church, 22, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jared Chase, 29, of Keene, New Hampshire, and Brent Betterly, 25, who lived in Massachusetts, were arrested on May 16, 2012, days before the NATO summit. The three young men had traveled from Florida to participate in protests.
The state alleged they were plotting to “destroy police cars and attack four Chicago Police district stations with destructive devices, in an effort to undermine the police response to the conspirators’ other planned actions for the NATO Summit.” It also suggested they were considering targeting President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign headquarters and had allegedly made Molotov cocktails. Read more
