Bradley Police Sergeant Sues Village and Chief Barber

A Village of Bradley Police Sergeant has filed a lawsuit against the Village of Bradley and Police Chief Don Barber. According to a press release, Michael D. Ettinger and Associates P.C. filed the whistleblower lawsuit in Kankakee County Circuit Court Tuesday on behalf of Bradley Police Sergeant David Kline. The lawsuit alleges that Sergeant Kline was suspended for fifteen days for refusing to enforce a Bradley Police policy and practice that violates Illinois’s SAFE-T Act. According to the complaint, the Bradley Police Department’s policy was to subject all Class B misdemeanor offenders to custodial arrest for transport to the Jerome Combs Detention Center or the police station for fingerprinting. With the passage of the “SAFE-T Act” in 2021, peace officers must issue a citation to appear in court instead of arresting properly identified offenders of Class B misdemeanors and below, unless certain exceptions apply. Sergeant Kline alleges he was disciplined for “insubordination” for refusing to enforce the arrest policy against properly identified offenders of Class B misdemeanors when no exceptions applied, and for disclosing the policy and practice to his supervisors, including Chief Barber. The lawsuit seeks damages and other relief allowed under Illinois law. The first court date is set for December 21st.