Alright. Let’s wrap this series up so we can move onto other things. To recap what we’ve discussed so far
1. The Aurora Police did exactly the right thing when they called off several previous pursuits involving James Moriarity when speeds exceeded the 100-mph mark
2. The APD’s plan to apprehend Moriarity as he returned to the covered garage to retrieve the carjacked Mazda was spot on. Considering the astute application of a “block” vehicle and tire deflation strips, contrary to the Sheriff’s opinion, the suspect wasn’t going anywhere.
3. Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain’s contentions that the APD weren’t communicative and they should’ve rushed into a crowded apartment complex in the middle of the night to capture an individual whose sole intent was to die are wrong and downright foolish.
4. Hain’s inexplicable decision to interfere with the sting and tow the vehicle set off a series of events that NEVER should’ve happened. And he’s solely responsible for that series of events.
5. The only mistake the APD made was abandoning the surveillance operation when they believed the Sheriff had blown their cover. But they would not have been in that position were it not for the Sheriff’s decision to tow the car.
6. When the second carjacked vehicle was located, the Sheriff’s office’s decision to initiate a high-speed chase down Randall Road during the afternoon rush hour was almost as bad as the decision to compromise the APD operation. It’s a miracle no innocent motorist was killed.
7. With the suspect suffering multiple gunshot wounds and already on the ground, it was utterly unnecessary to release K9 Officer Hudson. As a result, Hudson was killed by friendly fire.
8. Sheriff Hain’s behavior after Hudson’s death has so fully compromised his position that he needs to resign. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin’s comportment has been no better than Hain’s, and his track record is far worse. Given time and space, the best people tend to recover from a bad decision.
9. The ensuing bad blood between the APD and Sheriff’s Office could eventually cost an officer from either department their life.
The only puzzle piece left in this eminently sad tale is the pending investigative report from the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force.
For the uninitiated, the Task Force consists of officers from virtually every Kane County police department, the Illinois State Police, the ATF, Homeland Security, and individuals from the KC Diagnostic Center. They define their mission as follows:
…to provide timely assistance to member agencies that become involved in a major investigation by providing additional expertise, manpower and equipment. KCMCTF will work the following types of case: Homicide, serial sexual assault, serial arson, major bombing, non-parental kidnapping, complex violent crimes against people, heinous crimes, complex crime scene processing and evidence collection.
Having recently spoken with State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, I can tell you that the Task Force submitted their report in mid-August. As is often the case with these difficult use-of-force investigations, that report was forwarded to Force Science, an independent group of experts who, upon request, review situations like the one involving Moriarity’s death.
Their examination will take at least two months, putting it back in the SA’s hands in mid to late October. The SA’s office will need at least a week to analyze Force Science’s findings and it will subsequently be released to the public in late October or early November. Once the report is out, the KCSAO will determine what, if any, action needs to be taken.
I certainly appreciate that Ms. Mosser took the time to clarify this issue.
But per my previous promise, and considering my superb sources, I have a pretty good idea of what the Task Force’s findings will be.
The first is that Moriarty was carrying a replica and not a real gun.
Please understand this has absolutely no bearing on his being shot and killed by the deputies. It would be patently absurd to ask them to make that distinction in the heat of the aftermath of a high-speed pursuit. Not only that, but some of Chiraq’s finest gangbangers have started painting their pistol tips fluorescent orange in an effort to dupe the police into thinking it’s a BB gun.
The bottom line in this regard is, if you pull a knife or anything remotely resembling a gun on the police, something bad is going to happen. The reason I’m pointing out this possibility is that Moriarity could not have killed Hudson.
Moving on.
When Moriarity crashed the carjacked Honda, he was immediately surrounded by Sheriff’s deputies. He reached for what “appeared” to be a handgun, and they opened fire. A deputy armed with a rifle put three through-and-through holes in Moriarity’s chest and, surprised he was still alive, he fell to the ground squirming and moaning.
That’s the point at which Hudson grabbed hold of Moriarity’s leg and a rookie deputy continued to fire, tragically killing the dog.
Incensed at Hudson’s apparent death, Sergeant Michael Widlarz, who’s had previous use-of-force issues, walked up to the still moaning suspect and emptied his entire pistol clip into Moriarity’s back. In this journalist’s well-informed opinion, that’s what killed James Moriarity.
Please let me assure you that I’m not even insinuating that Moriarty is a sympathetic figure because he isn’t.
If you’re going to commit suicide, just do it, don’t try to turn it into an epic saga. But in a civilized society, police officers don’t walk up to an incapacitated suspect and shoot them eight or more times in the back.
Once he was made aware of that “event,” Hain continued to compound his series of errors by ordering Widlarz not to write the requisite report because you can’t FOIA a non-existent document. Widlarz lawyered up within 72 hours, and to absolutely no one’s surprise, his attorney told him to keep his mouth shut.
My more than reasonable supposition is that, once the Task Force’s report is released, The KCSAO will charge Widlarz with basic murder or something more appropriate to the final facts. The evidentiary question will be, which shot killed Moriarity?
Circling back to our original contention, all Sheriff Hain had to do was let the Aurora Police finish their job and none of this would’ve happened. For want of a nail…, right?
Authors Note:
One final revelation. This journalistic endeavor has always been my choice and no one else’s. Thus, I’m not nearly a sympathetic figure, either. But between the amount of time these columns require, the lack of any significant compensation for that effort, and the toll they often take, I will likely move onto other possibilities before Christmas – or earlier. Trust me. Eighteen years of trying to set the record straight is more than enough for anyone.
The good news is I’ve tripled my sports betting accounts in the last four months and that’s where I plan on focusing my efforts.