Lyons: Too many chances lead to trouble
Ryan Hallett’s successful verdict against former Richmond police officer Brian Quilici and his department marks the end of an ugly chapter in the history of McHenry County law enforcement.
I’m ready to close the book. But we still need to keep in mind a culture that allowed this to transpire.
Occasionally, problem police officers get bounced around from small department to small department, where they become someone else’s problem. Brian Quilici, who previously was a Spring Grove officer, became a felon.
His problems with anger, violence and alcohol were well-documented before the Feb. 20, 2005, incident at a Fox Lake bar.
Certain people shouldn’t be cops.
I don’t pretend to know everything about Quilici’s career. I’m sure you could find many examples of when Quilici actually did serve and protect, uphold the law, and likely helped people, just as many cops do each day. He was a DARE officer and honored for making many drunken driving arrests.
But here are some of Quilici’s documented incidents before the 2005 beating, most of which the Northwest Herald obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests about a month after Hallett filed his civil lawsuit:
• On May 18, 2003: A man was battered outside a Crystal Lake restaurant. An eyewitness wrote down the license plate from the suspect’s vehicle and police traced it to Quilici, who denied being involved in a fight or being at the restaurant that night. No charges were filed.
• Dec. 13, 2003: Quilici allegedly attacked and pushed his girlfriend’s boss outside another Crystal Lake restaurant. The man told a Crystal Lake officer that he was afraid of being harassed by Quilici and did not sign a formal complaint.
• Nov. 8, 2004: A domestic dispute led to a DUI charge against Quilici. A village prosecutor later dropped the charge because of procedural issues.
• Dec. 15, 2004: Quilici allegedly threw two glasses of water at his girlfriend and pushed her against a door. In his report, a Richmond officer said Quilici became verbally aggressive during the investigation and required physical restraint. No charges.
I understand the human nature of trying to protect a fellow officer, but it can go way too far and create a culture like the one that allowed Quilici, with help from former officers Jerome Volstad and Ron Pilati, to beat and kick in a handcuffed man’s face and walk away with blank police reports to fill out at their convenience.
Allowing that kind of culture to persist does a disservice to the community and to law enforcement, leaving a perception that is difficult to overcome. I hope that culture is no longer accepted in McHenry County law enforcement. I’ve met too many good cops who don’t deserve the stigma.
• Kevin Lyons is news editor of the Northwest Herald. Reach him at 815-526-4505 or at
kelyons@nwherald.com.
