Photo police journal archives4/5/2023 Nichols accepted the role of someone the public would be able to trust. For many Americans, the fresh images of first responders bravely answering the call to serve – many of them knowing that it would be the last call they would ever take – still played fresh in their minds. The opportunity to become a police officer is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for many, and Nichols would have taken the oath to protect and serve the city of Springfield shortly before the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. I’ve done a lot of good in my careers.” – Posted on Gab Īccording to the Illinois Training and Standards Board records, Nichols was hired in June 2004 by the SPD. ![]() ![]() The best place I can possibly be is inside the beast. “I despise the government and have for nearly 3 decades. There are archives available with hundreds of derogatory posts to look through, but there are a few that stand out as especially shocking and alarming. Others in the community have more questions than answers as they struggle to comprehend how something like this could have gone undetected for so long. The discovery of his statements and subsequent removal from duty has divided many in the community, with some saying that the situation was over the moment that he resigned. While the racist statements are disappointing, they are unfortunately not surprising. It was reported that Nichols did not dispute the department’s findings when he resigned ahead of a meeting with internal investigators. The use of several different burner accounts indicates that officer Nichols was aware that what he was doing would result in disciplinary action. Several community leaders have spoken out against the former officer for a myriad of racist, homophobic and antisemitic statements that were posted under a variety of social media usernames. The de-certification by the Illinois Training and Standards Board is the only thing that would prevent him from having an opportunity to continue his career in law enforcement. Deputy Stuenkel states that while Nichols is not able to re-join the Springfield Police Department, it is entirely possible that he could find work with another department. However, it should be noted that neither one of these things guarantees that Nichols will not find a job in another Illinois city or township. The Springfield Police Department has also submitted a report to the Illinois Training and Standards Board which ensures that other law enforcement agencies in the state of Illinois are aware of the nature of his conduct. ![]() A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request has been submitted for the information on whether Nichols has had complaints filed against him or if he was reprimanded for misconduct prior to the announcement on April 1. When asked if there was an indicated pattern of racial bias in Nichols’ police work, Stuenkel indicated that it was one of the many things that were being investigated. Though the disgraced former officer has turned over his badge and been officially relieved of police duties, Deputy Chief Stuenkel says the current investigation will continue. The department announced that Nichols tenured his resignation on April 5. ![]() During a statement by Chief of Police Kenneth Scarlette, it was announced that Nichols was then placed on unpaid administrative leave – something that the Police Union did not oppose. Joshua Stuenkel, the Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigations for the Springfield Police Department, says that the department was made aware of the statements through an independent information gathering effort by a group called the Anonymous Comrades Collective. Nichols who was placed on unpaid administrative leave for the discovery of racist online statements. On Friday, April 1, a story broke about former Springfield Police Officer Aaron P. For this reason, we want to preface this story with a trigger warning of graphic content in some of the language quoted, in an effort to tell the truth and provide accountability for someone who is charged with keeping this community safe. We understand some of our readers may not wish to see this graphic content, and for some, it may even be a trigger. In the case of our story about Aaron Nichols, the fired Springfield police officer, we have made the editorial choice to include graphic content, in the form of offensive and bigoted language, so we can tell the true story of what is happening here in the Springfield community. Editorial Preface: We at The Observer believe it is important that our readers see the truth in the world, no matter how difficult, painful and awful it may be.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |