217 Today: Champaign hired Police Chief Timothy Tyler despite disciplinary past

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In 2022, Timothy Tyler was chosen to lead the Champaign Police Department — despite a string of misconduct allegations from his first policing job in the south Chicago suburb of Markham through his time at the Illinois State Police.
  • Photo: Farrah Anderson, Invisible Institute/Illinois Public Media

Monday, January 29, 2024

Today’s headlines: 

  • The parents of a University of Illinois student who was found dead outside in Urbana during sub-zero weather have filed a complaint against campus police for failing to find him.
  • Illinois Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski says lack of progress in Washington on the federal budget is also holding up work on a new Farm Bill.
  • The Champaign Urbana branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation hosted a protest in Champaign on Saturday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about a new investigation that finds information about Champaign Police Chief Timothy Tyler’s track record was not disclosed to city council members before they recommended hiring him in 2022.

Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Jim Meadows, Nour Longi, Madison Holcomb, Farrah Anderson, Sam Stecklow and Isra Rahman.

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Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.