Sandage: Dislike of police goes back to Ferguson

Posted on September 1, 2015

McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage offered reaction to Tuesday’s killing of an officer in Fox Lake, Ill. (WJBC file photo)

By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – Tuesday’s shooting death of a police officer in Chicago’s northwest suburbs is another reminder of the fact police need to constantly be aware of their surroundings, according to McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage.

“I guess the part that hurts is that an officer is out there doing his job, protecting his community, and there are people out there that think so little of police officers that they would take their lives,” said Sandage. “They’re not just shooting officers. The case in Houston, that was an assassination. That was about as cowardly as you can get.”

Sandage told WJBC the disrespect for police goes back to what happened in Ferguson, Mo. last year.

“When the President of the United States and the Attorney General, Eric Holder, came out demonizing that officer before they had all the facts,” said Sandage. “That’s just wrong.”

Sandage added there are cases which give law enforcement a “black eye,” but the majority of police are dedicate to their jobs and put their lives on the line to protect citizens.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

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