<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px"><div dir="ltr">This will be read on CU Progressive News (WEFT) this evening:</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7607" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div align="center" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7608" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;"><b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7609" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7610" face="Calibri">Regarding the Death of Kelley Wilson</font></b></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7611" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7612" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div align="center" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7613" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;"><b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7614" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7615" face="Calibri">David Green</font></b></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7616" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7617" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div align="center" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7618" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;"><b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7619" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7620" face="Calibri">June 16<sup id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7621"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7622" size="2">th</font></sup>, 2016</font></b></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7623" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7624" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7625" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7626" face="Calibri">On the evening of Saturday May 7<sup id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7627"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7628" size="2">th</font></sup>, 2016, an
altercation in Mahomet between a police officer and Dracy “Clint” Pendleton led
to a gun fight, after which Pendleton fled towards I-72. Pendleton died a week
later in the midst of a shoot-out in Southern Illinois.</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7629" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7630" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7631" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7632" face="Calibri">As a result of the police chase for Pendleton, a motorist in
Decatur was killed late in the evening of May 7<sup id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7633"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7634" size="2">th</font></sup>. That motorist was
Kelley Wilson of Decatur, a 26-year-old single mother of 2 young daughters, who
worked at Panera Bread. Wilson was making a left turn, trying to head south, on
the road on which an Illinois State Police officer was traveling north. That officer
was responding to a call and on his way to I-72 in pursuit of the fleeing Pendleton.
He was also injured in the accident, but is recovering.</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7635" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7636" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7637" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7638" face="Calibri">The News-Gazette reported on May 8<sup id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7639"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7640" size="2">th</font></sup>: “<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7641" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Master Sgt. Matthew Boerwinkle said the
trooper was in the center of the city when he received the call that a Mahomet
police officer had been shot and that the shooter was headed for Interstate 72.”
At that point, there was no information regarding the speed at which the
officer was travelling.</span></font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7642" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7643" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7644" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7645" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7646" face="Calibri">On June 15<sup id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7647"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7648" size="2">th</font></sup>,
the News-Gazette reported: “Macon County Coroner Michael Day said testimony at
Wednesday's (June 15<sup id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7649"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7650" size="2">th</font></sup>) inquest revealed that (ISP Officer Jeff) Denning's
unmarked squad car had its lights and siren activated and was traveling 108 mph
just before the crash and 85 mph at impact.”</font></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7651" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7652" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7653" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7654" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7655" face="Calibri">According to the
News-Gazette, Coroner Day also stated: “Wilson had a blood alcohol
concentration of 0.094%, which is over the limit for an Illinois driver to be
presumed intoxicated. He said the woman also had marijuana byproducts in her
system.”</font></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7656" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7657" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7658" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7659" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7660" face="Calibri">This fatal
collision was judged by the coroner’s jury to be “accidental.” It should be
noted that at 108 miles per hour, a car travels the length of a football field
in less than 2 seconds. It would be difficult for any ordinary motorist to instantly
judge that speed, especially in the dark.</font></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7661" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7662" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7663" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7664" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7665" face="Calibri">A commenter on
the News-Gazette website stated: “Driving 108 MPH on a city street to
"pursue" a suspect 45 miles away is absurdly reckless.”</font></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7666" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7667" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7668" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7669" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7670" face="Calibri">As another
commenter noted: “Ms. Wilson's BAC was higher than it should have been and I
can understand the officer's desire to help catch Pendleton. But 108 mph inside
a city seems excessive, even with lights and siren.”</font></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7671" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7672" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7673" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7674" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7675" face="Calibri">A third commenter
observed: “I can't fathom how that rate of speed could possibly be within
allowable limits even when pursuing a suspect. You should not be allowed
to jeopardize the rest of the public's safety, even if you're all jacked up
about catching the cop-shooter.”</font></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7676" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7677" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7678" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7679" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7680" face="Calibri">The public is
left with at least two issues in relation to this tragic incident. The first
concerns the implication that the victim, Kelley Wilson, is being blamed for
her death. The second concerns the appropriateness of high-speed chases, especially
on city streets.</font></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7681" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7682" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7683" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7684" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7685" face="Calibri">At a broader
level, concerned citizens might question a hyper-reactive and hyper-empowered
panic mentality among police officers upon hearing of an attack on another
police officer. Our culture has accorded a unique status to police officers,
their choices to use violence, and their choices in responding to violence,
especially when that violence is directed at them. Both police culture and the
broader culture need to be critically examined in this light. In our high-tech and
hyper-surveilled era, fleeing suspects are inevitably located and captured. It
would seem that measured and deliberate patience with utmost regard for safety
during that process, rather than enraged panic, should be the mentality with
which police are trained to approach such situations.</font></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7686" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7687" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7688" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7689" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7690" lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7691" face="Calibri">David Green lives in Champaign.</font></span></b></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7692" dir="ltr"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1466436937328_7693" face="Times New Roman">
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