CHICAGO (CBS) — A retired Chicago police chief emphasized Thursday the push for tougher sentences against suspects accused of killing police officers.
The former suburban chief, who was himself shot in the line of duty, is calling on the new Trump administration to involve federal authorities the next time someone kills a law enforcement officer. This comes as more and more officers have been killed in the line of duty in Chicago and the surrounding area.
Earlier this month, Oak Park police honored their fallen brother Detective Allan Reddins. Reddins was killed the day after Thanksgiving during a shootout with a suspect.
“I can tell you that every chief, chief or sheriff – when they go to bed, that’s what they worry about every day,” Tom Weitzel said.
Weitzel served as chief of police in the western suburb of Riverside for 13 years. Now retired, he serves as an ambassador for the Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.
Weitzel hopes President-elect Donald Trump will support his initiative to make killing an on-duty law enforcement officer a federal crime.
“And this is not Republican/Democrat, because I contacted Democrats and got no response, and I contacted Republicans and got no response,” Weitzel said. “But there is no doubt that President Trump has publicly stated that he is a ‘law and order’ type, and that he is very pro-police.”
Five Chicago police officers have been shot dead since 2021 –Ella French, Andrés Vasquez Lasso, Ariana Preston, Luis HuescaAnd Enrique Martinez.
In May of this year, there was a massive manhunt by U.S. Marshals to take Xavier Tate into custody in connection with the shooting that killed Officer Huesca.
Tate had been on the run for days after authorities said he shot Huesca outside the officer’s home in April.
Weitzel wants the FBI to be activated every time a police officer is killed.
“I think it would be fictional for me to want this legislation because I would see a reduction in the murder of police officers while on duty. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Weitzel said, “but what’s going to happen is that you can guarantee that they will be resolved, that you can guarantee that they will be investigated and prosecuted – and that those cases have no chance of being overturned if they are handled properly.’
Some may argue that this impulse goes too far. But Weitzel believes it’s a two-way street.
“In situations like this, when you push for legislation, you have to go where it takes you,” Weitzel said, “and this opportunity, with President Trump taking office, is an opportunity to at least have them look at it. “
Weitzel knows his proposal is an uphill battle. He has been fighting for it since 2012.
It’s also an issue that is personal to Weitzel. In 1987 he was shot while on patrol but survived.
But the shooter has never been caught 38 years later.
Jermont Terry
