christopher hansen

Credit: News Gazette

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Police are investigating an Urbana man's claim of corruption and misconduct during his August 2015 arrest.

The man published an open letter in December 2018 on a website called CorruptCU.com.

Since then, Christopher Hansen's detailed account of his Aug. 22, 2015, arrest has been spread all over social media.

The News Gazette reports Hansen was accused of stealing a woman's purse in downtown Champaign.

Charges against him were dismissed that October due to insufficient evidence.

Hansen made claims online about the police force being violent and corrupt, problems at the jail, and claimed news agencies were negligent.

Champaign police said Tuesday there is an internal investigation and administrative review looking into Hansen's allegations.

He said police had not received a formal complaint from Hansen before he published the open letter to the website.

A final report could come as soon as a month, the News Gazette reports.