Dunlap school board member busted for battery theft
I’m sure he just forgot to pay for them:
Bruce F. Mehl , 50, of 933 Grand Oak Drive was booked into the Peoria County Jail on charges of aggravated battery to a police officer, resisting arrest and retail theft. He was released from jail Sunday.Shortly after 9 p.m. Friday, an off-duty Peoria police officer working security at Kroger, 9219 N. Lindbergh Drive, allegedly saw Mehl pick up a package of batteries, remove them from the package and drop them into his pocket.
Mehl then walked around the store for several minutes before leaving the store without paying, police said.
The officer stopped Mehl, who resisted, and the two fell to the ground tussling, according to police reports.
When I was in high school, the teacher who was business adviser for the yearbook staff got busted trying to walk out of a store with some screws or something. He wasn’t prosecuted and allowed to keep his job. This was also the year some cameras vanished from a locked drawer. I am sure it was a coincidence.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Grand Oak is populated by $400K plus homes. I suspect it’s gonna be a bitch to live this one down.
What, no pun about batteries and charges?
Watt are you talking about?
Like the community of Dunlap needs to be polarized by something like this.
How soon until this goes before the circuit court?
I’m positively shocked by the all the negative publicity this is generating.
Does this mean all thieves live in Dunlap or most thieves are from Dunlap?
He ALLEGEDLY stole some batteries. Big freakin’ deal. I know Bruce and he’s a good guy. If he did it, who knows why. I’m sure most of us have done something or another we regret and wish we could take back. I’m sure if he did it, which none of us know, it still is, innocent till proven guilty, or did that change with the Patriot Act as well. I could write a book about my regrets (in fact I did and it will be out in July–what a media whore I am). Fine him, give him some public service and move on to real news stories. This is not a big deal. Nothing else to see here people.
Hang him by the joules
I’ve been caught stealing;
once when I was 5…
I enjoy stealing.
It’s just as simple as that.
Well, it’s just a simple fact.
When I want something,
I don’t want to pay for it.
I walk right through the door.
Walk right through the door.
Hey all right! If I get by, it’s mine.
Mine all mine!
- Jane’s Addiction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc53eG1Gbv0
I’m positive it’s a sine if a future crime waves.
I love that Jane’s Addiction Song. The video was great as well. All this has brought back memories of when my brother Jim and I would take road trips to concerts. We would always have a contest as to who could steal the coolest thing from a truck stop. My favorite thing I stole was little Budweiser salt and pepper shakers. I wish I still had them.
+1 Super J, Mouse, Kevin, SA, and Gary. I was cringing by the end.
Seriously, they need to stop giving out liquor licenses in Dunlap. These detached upper class white folks need to be protected from themselves.
I know. We should erect a fence around Dunlap so these sorts of criminal class will stop coming into Peoria.
Next thing you know, they’ll be moving south of Willow Knolls. What will we do then? It’ll be the end of the ideal urban sprawl Peoria has worked so hard to preserve.
To all those touting Mr Mehl's innocence and his being an upright citizen - if it was such a big mistake on his part why didn't he just address the issue at the time and not put up a fight that add more charges?
What ever became of the charges in this case?