Kane County police departments, community leaders react to Chauvin verdict

Kane County law enforcement and community members are reacting to the Derek Chauvin conviction this week.

Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Officer, was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man’s neck in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious re-examination of racism and policing in the United States.

Geneva Police Chief Eric Passarelli stated on his blog “the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial is a step in the right direction.” The rest of the post stated:

“An unspeakable act was committed by a police officer, a police officer who was sworn to serve and protect his community. Derek Chauvin was held accountable for his horrific actions on May 25, 2020. Even with this verdict, there is still an immense amount of work that must be done by the law enforcement profession to regain the confidence of the communities that we serve. Here in Geneva, the men and women of the Geneva Police Department have worked extremely hard to gain the trust and respect of our community. We enjoy an incredible amount of support from our residents, and we do not take that for granted. I pledge to you that we will continue to treat everyone with the empathy, compassion, dignity, and the respect they deserve, no exceptions. We will continue to provide high-level training to our officers so that they have all of the tools needed to provide the exceptional service our residents expect from us. We will listen to the needs of our community and will work in partnership to assure that those needs are met. Finally, our police department will do everything in our power to maintain the trust of those who visit and live in Geneva each and every day.”

In Batavia, Deputy Police Chief Shawn Mazza stated in an email that the department’s body camera project is “still a work in progress,” and he hoped the system will “be active” soon.

Below is a statement Batavia Police Chief Daniel M. Eul wrote in the department’s 2020 annual report published in March:

“Then in the Spring of 2020, a police officer-involved death in Minnesota brought about a period of nationwide civil unrest, activism, and scrutiny of policing practices in the United States. The incident spurred numerous questions from our citizens regarding policing strategies in Batavia. This generated a dialogue with our residents, elected officials and the Police Department which ultimately resulted in the decision by the Batavia City Council and Police Administration to implement a Body Worn Camera Program for Batavia Police Officers. Funding was secured for this initiative in 2020 with the goal of equipping all officers with body cameras in 2021.”

Elburn Police Chief Nick Sikora wrote in an email that he “fully believes in” the U.S. criminal justice system.

“Obviously this case has gathered a large amount of attention and following from media and the public both. I implore our citizens to remain calm and respectful to others,” he stated. “In regards to the policies of the Elburn Police Department, we are constantly reviewing them to be sure we remain up to date with not only law changes but best practices. We utilize the Lexipol System to assist us with this and ensure we make changes as needed.”

Geneva resident Martha Paschke, who unsuccessfully ran against Dan Ugaste for representative of Illinois’ 65th District last fall, stated in a text message that the conviction on all three counts “is the accountability that has been called for since killed George Floyd last year.”

“It is a historic moment that signals a readiness to begin addressing some of the wrongs of our past, and there is much yet to be done,” Paschke’s text stated. “We need to address systemic racism everywhere – including policing. We need to see drug use as a health issue and not a moral issue. And we need to continue to hold those who do wrong accountable.”

Geneva resident Jill Johnson said that the guilty verdict is “the right verdict.”

“Convicting Derek Chauvin is a large step forward to seeing the much-needed change we need between police and the black community. I’m happy to see justice for George Floyd’s family and friends and hope they can find some peace in the jury decision today,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who is chair of Geneva’s Strategic Plan Advisory Committee, is taking applications for its new Diversity, Equity and Inclusionary Task Force, added that, “It’s important to remember that just because there was a guilty verdict this time, does not mean the fight stops here.”

“There are many other cases such as George Floyd’s that still deserve justice,” she said. “Many other families are going through the same pain and agony as George’s Floyd’s. Police brutality must stop and we must come together to make that a reality. Justice for Black America is justice for all America.”

The now-fired white officer, Chauvin was found guilty as charged of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.