Chicago Lawmaker Wants Police Treated as Subhuman – But Not Her Firefighter Husband
In an unprecedented proposal, a Chicago lawmaker seeks to legalize some assaults on police officers
It's that time of year again in Illinois. Legislative sessions are about to begin, and numerous anti-police legislation is being proposed in Springfield. This may offend some, but Illinois has become the worst state in the U.S. for supporting law enforcement. This was recently highlighted by a piece of legislation proposed by Illinois State Representative Lisa Davis (D-32nd District), whose bill aims to make it legal for individuals "appearing to have a mental episode to attack cops;" however, it would still be illegal to attack firefighters, like her husband.
The premise of this law is completely ridiculous. State Representative Lisa Davis introduced the bill, HB3458, last month, and so far, it has gained two co-sponsors: Kelly Cassidy (D), representing part of the North Side, and Marcus Evans Jr. (D), whose districts include the South Side and adjacent suburbs.
In all my years in law enforcement and the extensive time I spent on the legislative committee for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, I have never encountered a piece of legislation this derogatory towards the police. State law currently allows a person to be charged with aggravated battery if they attack an individual known to be a police officer, community policing volunteer, private security officer, correctional institution employee, firefighter, or Department of Human Services employee. The law Representative Davis is proposing would only legalize attacks on police officers, leaving attacks on all the other professions I just listed illegal. It's shameful.
The fact that the law would exempt firefighters is absolutely by design. Rep. Davis is married to a Chicago firefighter. When she's not drafting legislation, Davis is a Cook County Public Defender's Office defense attorney. Surprise!
Davis probably proposed this law because she believes individuals with mental health issues should not be charged for attacking police officers. This is simply a stretch. Many individuals who attack police officers exhibit mental health problems when they're drunk, under the influence of drugs, or have a legitimate mental incapacity, but that does not exempt them from a potential assault charge or grant them the right to attack a uniformed police officer in the line of duty; that determination is for the courts. To take away the ability of law enforcement to arrest that offender aligns with a political agenda that is in harmony with anti-police activists.
While this legislation may not advance beyond its introduction, it did gain two co-sponsors. At last check, it has been referred to the Rules Committee, typically where legislation goes to die, but not always. You can bet if this legislation is something that the Davis wants to see adopted, she'll push it in a different format later.
I want you to consider the kind of thought process this state representative must have to draft a piece of legislation that would allow any individual, under any circumstances, to legally attack police officers and not be charged, while also proposing an exemption for firefighters. Springfield typically criticizes the police for lacking compassion and ethics for not serving their community. Rep. Davis is certainly serving her community, but that would be the individuals she represents at the Public Defender's Office, her anti-police activist supporters, and those who do not want policing anymore and would like to see it eliminated as a profession.
Prior to composing this column, after a thorough examination, no other state is proposing legislation similar to what Davis has proposed. Numerous states are drafting bills to protect officers, not to allow them to be legally attacked. There's also federal legislation pending in Washington to protect officers injured or killed in the line of duty. Yet here in Illinois, we propose legislation permitting police to be battered and treated as though they are subhuman. Numerous pieces of anti-police legislation are pending in Springfield; there are proposals to eliminate school resource officers, to facilitate the transportation of cannabis in vehicles, and to ease restrictions for convicted sex offenders living near schools and parks.
Some readers may be left with the impression this is an overreaction to a proposed bill enhancing safety for those who suffer from mental illness. Far from it. After completing research on this subject, no piece of legislation has ever been introduced in Illinois that would allow police officers to be legally attacked in any manner. No one, in any state in America, should be allowed to attack a police officer without facing criminal consequences; if we go down that road, complete lawlessness will take over. For the record, I want to inform my readers that I first learned about this legislation from the Chicago online news organization CWBChicago. I thank them for bringing this to my attention and giving it the spotlight it deserves.
Tom Weitzel retired from the Riverside, Illinois, Police Department in May of 2021 after 37 years in law enforcement and 13 years as Chief of Police. Opinions are his own. Follow him on X @chiefweitzel.
