By: Diane Benjamin
Remember this story? https://blnnews.com/2023/03/22/normal-needs-a-pscrb/
Normal Police man-handled an 18 year old ISU student in an attempt to grab her phone after she voluntarily came to the the station after a fire in her apartment building.
An attempt to get a warrant to search her phone was denied by a judge because they couldn’t prove probable cause. She was handcuffed, taken to the jail, and strip searched after the encounter. She was never charged with anything!
The Town of Normal Police treat citizens the same way the “professional staff” and the mayor do. Kneel serf! This one is going to cost them.
If you want a readable version of the lawsuit, see this story: https://www.gunssavelife.com/lawsuit-served-normal-police-batter-then-arrest-innocent-isu-student-illegally-seize-students-phone/
A copy of the lawsuit is included in that story.
YouTube also has a version that appears on a site with 2.34 million subscribers, Normal is now infamous:
I hope this is also just the beginning of Normal, pam reece, & chris koos being held accountable.
Law, Justice, Gods law, Basic Human Rights and Constitutionally Protected Rights vs Normal PD’s strong arm tactics.
1. Normal PD escalated the situation.
2. Serve and Protect – Serve = serve court orders “warrants”. Not serve the public. Protect = 1st prior is to protect the government. 2nd priority is protect corporate interests. 3rd priority is protect the public.
3. Police officer training does not concentrate on citizen rights. They teach detain, find arrest-able offense, let the courts decide. Rarely is there an articulated crime or offense, merely a suspicion or assumption.
4. Never answer questions. Never ID. Never consent. Do not say, “I understand” = “to stand Under”.
5. Do not consent to searches or seizures.
6. Demand a supervisor.
7. Record the encounter. Even a simple traffic stop. “Freedom to travel on motorways unmolested”. Use terms, “Travel”, “vehicle” (not car or truck) for non commercial purposes is constitutionally protected.
Do not refuse to comply. Just don’t answer, ask them questions.
I
do not consent to searches and seizures! Why am I being questioned? Name and badge number? Reasonable articulable suspicion for detainment. Why Am I being detained? Supervisor. Repeat.
ILCS 720 handles a lot of the Illinois Regulations.
It has been many years ago but a normal police officer through his exaggeration or outright lying caused my 17 year old son to lose his license and at the time a possible career job. It was only through a video and ultimately a judge ruling my son finally got his license back. but because of the time to get them back he lost his job that he had to commute to. I raised my children to respect the police if stopped it is yes sir and no sir be respectful. Normal police have had a reputation in this state for being total jerks and obviously it has not changed. This does come from the top down, I hope the city gets exactly what they deserve as a result of this most recent altercation.
This is a top down problem. NPD has been the personal gestapo of the Mayor and Manager for decades. (COVID enforcement, walking from left led riots, scolding people who report crime in the Orlando area, blind eye to electioneering, paying people for their silence when the police violate their ADA rights, etc.) It is no wonder NPD shows the same level of disrespect for citizens and the rule of law as their leadership. I am pro police, but have no respect for corruption and those who abuse their power to push political agendas.
Unfortunately the outcome of this lawsuit will be that those responsible for setting the culture within the Town that it is ok to bully and abuse anyone who opposes the whims of the “professional staff” will keep their jobs. Taxpayers will again be the ones punished with higher taxes to cover legal fees and settle the case. I don’t expect this case to lead to meaningful reform. After all leadership has no respect for tax dollars either and that is what lawsuits boil down to, money.
Normal PD’s got a bad track record when it comes to doing what is right. They protected one of their own who stole over $10k in cash from a victim’s house until outside law enforcement got involved. Normal needs better accountability at ALL levels of their government!!!
The mayor does have a strong influence on how the police department is run according to information taught in criminology/sociology classes many moons ago. As seen in Bloomington & Normal the better police chiefs/administrators that come along and/or get tired of being bullied by incompetent mayors will therefore be replaced in due time.
Everything happening in BN has always been about the ruling class shoving their weight around. They all have “little town syndrome” and think being among the big fish in small pond BN make them a hard ass. One BPD cop got off hiding around BHS and CCHS in the morning and afternoon just to give students speeding tickets to kids going five miles over the speed limit. Kids got to know the dude on a first name basis. Pop was a well known realtor in town so he thought he could get away with the harassment and pretty much did and likely still does.
Sounds like how police and McLean and Ford counties handle issues. Blue immunity and privilege and written lies. Normal PD has a history of shadiness and bullying citizens.
Keep in mind these “trainees” and officers rarely have real life experience and many are related to top dogs in the force or pals. Few have real education other than learning to be so called “private eyes” and town cops.
They are taught to make arrests and clearly trained to take advantage of those they know can’t defend themselves emotionally or financially.
The phone thing and privacy issues citizens endure go far beyond this. Unfortunately
Sad story and costly