Woodridge, IL PD needs an enema. What their officers did to an innocent member of the community could have happened to any of us. You, me, or a loved one.
You’re driving through Woodridge when an unmarked cop car roars up behind you and then blocks you in. Plainclothes officers pour out, pointing guns at you, shouting an assortment of commands, some contradictory when they weren’t threatening to “shoot you in the head” and “end you.”
Great police work, maybe if you’re 100% certain it’s John Dillinger in the car. But it wasn’t John Dillinger. And it wasn’t good police work. It was an innocent man. A productive, respected member of the community.
For what it’s worth at least someone there with a lick of sense (and it surely wasn’t Dumbass Daniel Murray of Woodridge PD) checked the plate and discovered it wasn’t the same car. In fact, it wasn’t even close. They were looking for a black male and a black female in a black VW. All they had was a black male in a (very different color) Volkswagon with a license plate starting with CN. That’s where the similarity ends.
AOL isn’t naming the officers involved but we surely will. They need to be shamed. And made infamous and probably even unemployable. They are not fit to be running around with a badge and a gun. They’re listed in the lawsuit complaint filed by the driver of the Volkswagon SUV Derrick House.
Here they are:
Daniel Murray, Village of Woodridge PD He’s the guy in the screen grab above and his words will haunt him at the civil trial.
Zachary Harvey, Village of Woodridge PD
Brent Kielbasa, Village of Woodridge PD
Tom Cybulski, Village of Woodridge PD
Patrick Pendergast, Village of Woodridge PD
These five thugs with guns, along with the Village of Woodridge, have been hit with a seven count complaint. (Click here to download it.)
Count 1: False Arrest under Section 1983. Mr. House was cuffed and stuffed, illegally and without probable cause. He is asking for $500,000 for starters.
Count II: Excessive Force under Section 1983. You can’t point guns at people in society without exigent circumstances, even as a cop. He is asking for $500,000 for starters.
Count III: Failure to Intervene under Section 1983. The other officers were legally bound to intervene to stop an unconstitutional detention/arrest and physical violence by Daniel Murray. They did not. He is asking for $500,000 for starters.
Count IV: Illinois Common Law Assault. You can’t threaten to blow people’s heads off, particularly when you’re pointing a gun at their head from 10 or 15 feet away. They said, “We are going to end you.” Oh yeah, and “I will shoot you in the fucking head.” Get your checkbooks out. He is asking for $500,000 for starters.
Count V: Illinois Common Law IIED (Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress). See Count IV. He is asking for $500,000 for starters.
Count VI: Illinois Common Law False Imprisonment. Yep, Daniel Murray effed up cuffing and stuffing the driver, Mr. House. He is asking for $500,000 for starters.
Count VII: Municipal Indemnity. Your village employed these cowboys with badges and guns. You get to clean up their unlawful and unethical behavior by writing a check. Sky’s the limit on this one.
Let’s see what the federal courts have to say about their qualified immunity on this. If I were these five, I’d be worried.
Here’s the Civil Rights Lawyer John Bryan on this.
The Village of Woodridge is not accepting responsibility for this at all. “Deeply regrets” means a lot more when you’re writing a check for seven figures.
I left a message for the chief, and sent an email. As of this post he had not responded in any fashion.
UPDATE
The chief has attempted to be very responsive to this. He called my phone four times today but my new spam-blocking app needs tweaking. Yeah, it’s killing off the endless calls for Medicare supplemental insurance, burial insurance, and a half-dozen other things Indians are trying to sell me but it’s also blocking some legitimate calls.
He also emailed me.
He’s very aware of this and has been a busy man since this lawsuit was filed about a week ago. Local media has picked up the story and the village is getting a metric ton of bad press.
the minimum requirement for the badge-******* is to get the right suspect. it must be hard to id vehicle/residence numbers, match people to descriptions, etc. like maff, even when it’s displayed on your pd-tv?
Those cops would make good agents in the current ATF.
What’s scary is this is a suburb here in Illinois – and not some little shithole like Dolton or Harvey. I have been through Woodridge plenty of times. I think I’ll stay on the interstate next time.
By the way, didn’t I hear Mirray say something like “don’t talk to him. Don’t answer his questions. Don’t ask him any questions” after they put Mr. House in a squad car? Total shitbags. They auditioning for a new gritty cable cop show called “The Shield: Land of Lincoln”?
This is why people in Illinois now fear the cops more than the criminals the cops will not lock up.
Just imagine these officers serving an HB4144 search warrant. They kick in the door, point guns at everyone, screaming how they are going to do bad things to them; only to discover they are at the wrong house !
In my opinion, i would support the defunding of the Woodridge Illinois police department.
Amen. And then some. They don’t need de-escalation training. They need terminating and a new line of work. I wouldn’t support completely defunding Woodridge PD. Just the amount those five officers cost the city in employment costs.
Hopefully the defendants will have to pay at least part of the damages out of their own pockets. I support the police. At the same time I HATE bad cops with a burning passion. Almost as much as I hate corrupt politicians.
John boch: please confirm or disavow that the statement above at this timestamp was made by yours truly:
jboch says:
January 23, 2025 at 2:48 pm
I cannot believe those words come out of your mouth (errrrr , out of your keyboard!).
I must say it is refreshing to hear from you. 4 years ago you were Banning me with your Infamous ban hammer for saying anything bad about cops and today you’re saying you hate cops. Man! that’s 180° turn, is it not!
As a retired LEO take those badges away and throw these ass clowns in the county lock up general population. Bad character, bad hiring practices, bad culture, bad training equals thugs with indemnity. Has the chiefy suspended these ass clowns without pay pending the result if the IA? The volatile situation does not excuse the unprofessional, unlawful, and thug behavior. I am tired to death of hearing chiefs deflect with that tired excuse. You are supposed to be a professional LEO under control.
Spreading hate and discontent definitely makes the job harder for the LEOs that know how and maintain proper control during their public engagements.
I thought they where pulling him over for no front license plate, Clearly seen at 3:12. I thought all Illinois cars had to have a license plate on both ends of the vehicle. And no mention of a ticket for no license plate.
????
Not the point.