Chicago officials break ground for memorial honoring police torture survivors

CHICAGO (WLS) -- There was a groundbreaking Wednesday morning for a memorial.

It honors those who survived torture linked to Chicago police Cmdr. Jon Burge.

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It will be located in Washington Park on the city's South Side.

The memorial will be the first in the country to honor survivors of police torture.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said that torture has left entire generations to "carry the weight of trauma and injustice."

"This wrongdoing also deepened the legacy of distrust between communities and law enforcement that Chicago continues to confront today. Accountability is an essential step toward healing," Johnson said.

The mayor's office says the memorial will fulfill a promise the city made to victims of torture in 2015.