Is HB3653 bad for police? A police officer’s dashcam was rolling when a
Houston area mother was caught tackling a suspected peeper who she says was looking into her 15-year-old daughter’s bedroom. The mother had been just returning from the store when she caught a man in her yard. She says he was able to get away from two officers but not from her.
“I figured the least I can do if I got him down, tripped him up, whatever, then they [law enforcement] would have a chance to get caught up. First instinct was to make sure he didn’t go any further. My kids are my life, and I just want to make sure I can protect them”
Lake Jackson Police Sergeant Roy Welch gave this mother some credit – and the decent tackle was enough to help police.
The suspected peeper was 19-year old Zane Hawkins. Police found Hawkins but he had tried to get away, and he had started to run towards the mother, who moved in and made the tackle. Her daughter helped to hold down the suspect until officers caught up.
“It’s not very often that we have somebody who actually steps in and puts themselves in harm’s way to assist in apprehending somebody” – Lake Jackson Police Sergeant Roy Welch
“The cop fist-bumped me and was like “hey, so I heard Texans are looking for a new linebacker”. This mom was in “mom mode” and looking out for her kids.
Reaction From The President of the Illinois FOP
Chris Southwood,
The President of the Illinois FOP, discussed his thoughts about the footage of the mother’s tackle in a recent interview.
“What struck me most about this was how right now, police officers in Illinois could do the same thing. But after July 1
st with this new bill, new law, there are use of force issues with this, and there are also actually arrest issues with this.”
How This Situation Would Have Played Out In Illinois
If this same situation were to happen after July 1
st in Illinois, law enforcement could roll up on the scene after the mom has tackled the perpetrator, police could congratulate her but all the police could do at that point is issue a summons to the individual who the mother tackled. If the police would have gotten there prior to the individual being tackled by the mother, and they say the individual fleeing and running, there would be no imminent threat there. At that point, law enforcement would not have even been able to pursue the perpetrator and use force to subdue the individual.
How HB3653 Impacts Crime
In light of the new law, all that police would be able to do is issue a summons to the individual but they could not actually take him into a custodial arrest situation. It would also tie into the cash bail issue as the perpetrator wouldn’t have to pay cash bail.
Under the new bill, the perpetrator wouldn’t be taken into custody, but simply issued a summons, which is an important distinction that people need to understand. If the perpetrator is released and goes back to peeping, under the new Illinois law, police would not be able to take him into custody, and they would just have to issue him another summons. At that point, the police’s hands are tied, and ultimately, the people who wrote the bill are responsible.
