Today’s news:
Today’s news links, via the Peoria Journal Star:
- There’s been another sexual assault on a young District 150 student walking to school. Police say they believe the attacks are not related. I can’t help but be reminded of statements made during the last forum on the siting of a new Woodruff feeder school that it’s safer for kids to ride the bus than walk to school. The last time, I took issue with the suspicious tone of the reporting.
- I was critical of NAACP boss Don Jackson earlier over his comments suggesting Peoria was another Jena waiting to happen. But I happen to agree with his point that there is something of an inequity in the murder charges filed against the kid who tossed a brick from an overpass, killing a woman, while four teens whose fire-based prank caused their roommate’s death. There are some differences, of course, but I see his point. Still, if he knows of any other police officer who’s on the force after doing something similar to what Marshall Dunnigan is caught on tape doing, he needs to notify Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard.
- Former Bradley University coach Dick Versace is going to run. He’s going to tour the 18th District by bus, and he’s going to make the war in Iraq his top issue. It’s going to be interesting. This pretty much guarantees that former state Rep. Bill Edley won’t run.
- It’s amazing — not really, this is Illinois, after all — how many folks say they are personally opposed to gambling, but will vote for a new gaming bill that expanding state-sanctioned gambling because it means more spending in their districts without a dreaded tax increase. I’ll try to remember that next time someone rips off their church or their elderly grandmother in order to feed their gambling addition.
Jehan Gordon may not be a household name now, but she is looking less and less like a fringe candidate for the Illinois House seat being vacated by Aaron Schock. She’s got some powerful backers, including State Sen. Dave Koehler. And then there’s this guy (that’s Ms. Gordon in the middle). I’m going to her announcement today in Bartonville to introduce myself.- Here’s a museum fund-raising project that has my FULL support.
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 
“Still, if he knows of any other police officer who’s on the force after doing something similar to what Marshall Dunnigan is caught on tape doing, he needs to notify Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard.”
Accidentally picking up the wrong ticket while gambling at several machines, and when confronted immediately making it right? Oooh, that is heinous. Much worse than, say, boating while intoxicated, crashing your boat, and killing someone… or abusing your power as a police officer to threaten helpless gas station attendants while waiting for the owner to arrive….
[/sarcasm]
My information is that the police had to travel to Dunnigan’s home, and that the tape shows it was clear that it wasn’t a mistake. If the tape shows otherwise, all Dunnigan has to do is sign a release and the city will release the video.
And in the end, the drunken boater WAS fired. But I see your point about the officer who verbally abused the gas station attendant and later the owner.
Published reports stated that Dunnigan’s attorney explained: “Dunnigan played several slot machines for approximately two hours, including a machine being used by another player within the same time frame. At the time Dunnigan sat down at the machine to remove the credit voucher, which did not contain any electronic reference to any individual, the other player was standing approximately four feet from Dunnigan, talking to a Par-A-Dice employee and in full view of Dunnigan’s actions,” and once Dunnigan was confronted on it, he “immediately repaid the $639 to the casino to retain the good will of all parties concerned. Throughout the incident, Lt. Dunnigan continued to indicate that he believed the credit voucher was his own.”
“…the tape shows it was clear that it wasn’t a mistake.” According to whom? The Journal Star never saw the tape. The police and Dunnigan’s lawyer have conflicting stories over what the tape shows. It’s far from “clear.”
On the other hand, there was a tape that showed the actions of a white, out-of-control officer screaming at and intimidating a gas station attendant. The Journal Star *did* see that tape. Whatever happened to that officer? He’s still on the force just like nothing ever happened.
I find it hard to reconcile those two incidents. They just don’t appear equitable to me.
And as far as the drunken boating incident — he was fired, then put back on the force, remember? He will probably end up being fired permanently, but the point is that the investigation has dragged out for months, whereas it only took them two days to fire Dunnigan.
And I am required to point out that the city DID fire the officer in the drunken boating incident, but the city was required by an arbitrator to put him back on the force, on unpaid leave. It seems the arbitrator didn’t want to do anything to prejudice a jury and felt that ruling in the city’s favor would do that. The city will be free to fire him again, the the guy wins or loses his criminal case. The point being that the city NOR the police department is giving the guy a pass. Dunnigan has not been charged with a crime, which again is not the city’s call.
I agree, C.J. has a good point about the officer involved in the Beachler’s incident. What punishment did he ever get? I don’t remember what finally came of that.
At first, the city defended the officer. Then once the tape was heard, not so much. My sources say the guy got a severe talking-to. The problem is that the audio tape can’t be used is any disciplinary action because it was made without any sort of warning or alert he was beign taped.
NOTE: I unapproved several comments until I can get some clarification on some issues.
[...] This probably means that Bill Edley won’t run. At least I’ll have more time to spend with other activities as I won’t touch this race [...]
NOTE: I re-approved some comments.
The point is that the officer involved in the Beachler incident probably MIGHT have been fired in a perfect world, but labor law, privacy laws, and arbitration being what it is, a firing would NOT have been upheld.
And the circumstances surrounding the Dunnigan and the drunk boating incident are different. In one case, the city needed to wait for toxicology reports, while they had a video tape of Dunnigan given to them. Would you have been happier had they fired the officer in the boating incident BEFORE the evidence was in, or would you have rather they waited a few months to fire Dunnigan, simply for the sake of making it LOOK more fair?
I honestly do not see where there is a valid complaint of racism.
Troy Parker’s drunken boating accident occurred on June 15, 2006 — over a year ago. The Peoria Journal Star, June 17, 2006, a day after Damon Teverbaugh died from the boating crash, reported this:
Nevertheless, Parker was kept on the force on paid leave until he was indicted in August 2006. Then he was put on unpaid leave. On August 16, 2006, the Journal Star reported, “Peoria Police Chief Steven Settingsgaard has said he would decide on any disciplinary action against Parker independent of what the DNR or the State’s Attorney’s Office did. A felony conviction, however, would require Parker to be removed from his job.”
Phil Luciano reported a few days later that Parker had also gotten a DUI in August 1990, about 11 months before he joined the force. He also reported this:
Then, September 29, 2006, we learn this:
You’d think he’d be fired at that point. But he wasn’t fired until February 27, 2007 — five months later.
Dunnigan, on the other hand, did not have any prior run-ins, and was in fact a highly decorated veteran of the police force, near retirement. No charges were ever pressed against him, and he never killed anybody. There are conflicting interpretations of the video tape, as I explained in an earlier comment.
Now you’re telling me there’s no inequity here? I beg to differ.