Make Cop Killing Federal Crime: Ex-Riverside Chief

RIVERSIDE, IL – Riverside's retired police chief is asking the incoming Trump administration to support a proposal making the murder of a police officer in the line of duty a federal crime.

In a news release, retired Chief Tom Weitzel said he has advocated for such a law since 2012, but he said the proposal has received little traction to date.

"I contacted the Biden administration but received no reply," Weitzel, who retired in 2021, said in the news release. "The first Trump administration responded but only wanted to develop best practices for law enforcement agencies investigating officer-involved murders, which already existed; I also received no reply from our Illinois Senators and Representatives in Washington."

He noted seven police officers have been killed in the line of duty in Illinois this year, including police Detective Allan Reddins in Oak Park.

In the news release, Weitzel said he had been deeply affected by Reddins' murder. Weitzel graduated from Oak Park River Forest High School.

Weitzel was shot in the line of duty in 1989 and only survived because he was wearing a ballistic vest. He also serves as an ambassador for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.