By: Diane Benjamin
Imagine the neighborhood bully attacks you in your driveway and does this with a knife?
Then the Normal police arrest you for defending yourself even though other neighbors and your family tell them the victim wasn’t the aggressor?
This happened last May to a Veteran named Chad Berck. Charges against him were dropped in November. Neighbors testified in court for him, the judge even apologized for the legal system that didn’t protect the victim. Meanwhile his FOID card was confiscated, it might take a year for the State Police to return it.
The aggressor was never charged – James Allen Dewitt. He pled guilty to criminal trespass in 2021. In 2016 he was charged with Aggravated Battery/use of a deadly weapon. I appears those charges were dropped in 2017, they involved stabbing an interracial couple around ISU. Maybe the victims refused to testify. Berck did not have a criminal history before this. Both cases are listed on the County website https://publicaccess.mcleancountyil.gov/PubAC_SearchCriminal.aspx
According to Berck harassment by Dewitt started in November 2021. I have video of Dewitt laying on his car horn in front of their house. I have video of his obscene gestures while driving by. I have MANY more details I won’t include. The rest of the Berck family was asleep when Dewitt woke Chad with his motorcycle. Chad took his dog out to pee and that’s when the incident started. Dewitt was not arrested for the injuries he inflicted with his knife.
Berck was handcuffed even though he was recovering from shoulder surgery, the Normal police didn’t care. The Bercks now have an order of protection against Dewitt. January 1st that won’t matter because the Safe-T Act eliminates penalties for violating an order of protection. (from media reports)
I find it ironic the Normal police want you to fill out a survey for them. I hope the Bercks have completed it, the neighbors too. Several have public safety jobs. That survey needs some truth attached.
I’d sure like the police to explain why the injured party was arrested and the guy who did it wasn’t? Supposedly the attack moved out into the street which is public property. Berck didn’t want to give Dewitt access to his house and his sleeping family, so he purposely moved farther from his front door. The police decided the street is public property and used that to justify his arrest. I wonder if they know charges were dropped?
.
.
.
.
.
Obviously the true victim is a White male. Is Dewitt a minority of any sort? Black? Queer? Non binary? A Hobbit? Must be something protected.
No hes a white male as well, hes married to his wife
Why couldn’t NPD just take a knee like they historically do when faced with a ‘situation’. ?
I would not be surprised if Chad Berck is a conservative. It would fit the town’s m.o. on their treatment of other conservatives.
– sent police to fine conservative who did not follow Pritzker’s Covid RECOMMENDATIONS.
– Walked away and let lefty looters break into Target
-Town Manager sent intimidating emails to people she saw in their own yards not wearing a mask
– Mayor’s “protestor sale” mocking conservative protesters
– etc
Have seen this time and time again. A person can come to your home in your yard it doesn’t matter cause a commotion resident calls for assistance please will not remove them. This doesn’t happen in Peoria in Peoria you call you’ve got a person that has caused a problem in your home they take them out. But not in Normal.
Anytime you have a problem, the first to call the police are taken to be the victim. I was assaulted in my office in Normal, and did not call police. NPD came and arrested me with no discussion. I was taken to jail, and had to make three court appearances before charges were dropped. Lesson learned!
January 1, 2023, worthless politicians welcome official banana republic status with the anything but “safety act. Chris Koos is communist all the way letting this happen as mayor of Normal.
He sure is, and he proves it all the time.
When the shir hits the proverbial fan, law enforcement will become the gestopo arm of all governments. Their loyalty is to their government overlords who pay them handsomely and provide a fat pension upon retirement. Always arm yourself in your home. By the time the cops get there if they ever do, you would be dead. Writing traffic tickets, knocking drunks around, and defending domestic female offenders are their first priorities.
Do they still actually write traffic/speeding tickets? If so, where?
I think the NPD has already demonstrated that they work for Pam Reece. I hope I never need to call them.
Why in the hell wasn’t DeWitt arrested?
Why was Berck arrested?
Is there some bodycam video we can see?
This does not reflect well on NPD at all. I’ll just leave it at that.
Somebody could FOIA it!
This is the arrest and history of James from his 2016 stabbing of the young (mixed race) couple both ISU students. James had been assaulting them with racial slurs and instigating a response from the couple. When the boyfriend confronted him, James stabbed him multiple times. Then cried victim when the students friends came and called police on the students for instigating and claimed self defense. No investigations about the “hate crime” or the seriousness of the victims injuries were reported. The student dropped out of school and moved back to Chicago due to injuries sustained.
https://publicaccess.mcleancountyil.gov/PubAC_Disposition.aspx
Link doesn’t work
I have an idea – start your own site instead of telling me what to do with mine. Charges were dropped means NOTHING to you?
Why do you keep deleting my comments and inserting yours under my name? Why don’t you want open dialogue on your forum here? I asked honest questions about why you only got one side of the story. That should be easy to answer Diane.
Start your own site! I do it to you because you are a fraud and it’s fun!
Diane:
& Extremely well-done!!!
I would be interested in hearing the other side of the story.
Me too
Mr. Berck shoild meet with Mr. Devore?
Excellent idea. Open to a sit down.
Thank you for making my fathers story public