Aug 30, 2005 9:26 am US/Central
State's Attorney Keeping Tabs On Accused Officer
Officials Closely Watching Disciplinary Hearing For Marengo Police Officer
Northwest Herald, Josh Stockinger
MARENGO (Northwest Herald) ―
McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi has been keeping close tabs on a disciplinary hearing for Marengo police Officer Scott Crawford to possibly determine whether Crawford broke the law.
Marengo Police Chief Les Kottke asked him to look into "a specific incident" involving Crawford, Bianchi said. Bianchi would not comment further on the inquiry, but Kottke said he wanted prosecutors' opinion on Crawford's behavior.
"It's the normal way of doing business," Kottke said. "You go to them to see if you've got enough evidence to prosecute."
Kottke said an internal administrative investigation into Crawford likely would have been halted if the state's attorney had evidence worthy of filing charges. He declined to comment further.
Bianchi said his office still would keep a close watch on testimony at the officer's disciplinary hearing tonight.
"There's always the possibility that someone would make a comment at this hearing that would implicate Officer Crawford," Bianchi said. "We don't know what's going to be said there."
Crawford said Monday that the state's attorney's office had not contacted him. He is slated to go before the city Police and Fire Commission at 6 p.m. at city hall, 132 E. Prairie St.
Crawford, 26, maintained his innocence over charges that he lied on his job application, took part in an improper high-speed chase and fostered a "hostile" work environment. The department seeks to have him fired.
Whether the hearing will proceed with testimony remains unclear. It has been delayed three times.
Earlier this month, attorney Mark Gummerson, who represents the police department, also made a motion to close the proceedings to the public. The commission is expected to rule on the motion at the hearing's start.
Representatives from Bianchi's office have sat in the audience each time.
"There are no expectations at this point that there's going to be something disclosed that would continue an inquiry by our office," Bianchi said, "but that's why we're asking someone to go there and just monitor it."
Kottke and Crawford said they were ready to proceed with the disciplinary hearing.
Meanwhile, six plaintiffs have filed a multimillion-dollar federal civil-rights lawsuit against Crawford and his partner, Officer Kelly Given, alleging abuse and false arrest.
The lawsuit also names the City of Marengo and former chief Larry Mason as defendants, alleging that department brass recklessly hired and retained Crawford.
The suit claims police and fire officials should have known or did know that Crawford was the subject of a separate civil rights lawsuit as an officer in Waukegan. The 2001 suit settled for $30,000 after a videotape showing Crawford hitting a handcuffed man surfaced.
(CBS 2 and the Northwest Herald are news partners covering stories in the northwest suburbs. If you know of stories happening in this region, contact us.
(© 2005)
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