LAWRENCE CO.—An alleged assault taking place in the Lawrence County courthouse lead to an emergency OP being issued in the case, and may still yet lead to criminal charges for the alleged assailant.
But this wasn’t just any alleged assault going on between litigants or defendants involved in day-to-day court doings; instead, this was between one of the county’s most questionable deputies and their new prosecutor.
And instead of just deferring to the powers-that-be in Lawrence as previous prosecutors dating back to the mid-90s have done, this time, Chris Quick, who was elected in November, did something different: He stood up to the corruption that’s been rampant in Lawrence for decades, and which had given many county officials the sense of entitlement that’s allowed them to run roughshod over the people they’re supposed to serve and protect…which is the kind of mentality that lead to the incident in the first place.
Violent York
Dennis York, who has been with the Lawrence County sheriff’s department off and on for a number of years (he took a brief hiatus in 2006 after getting a job with a military contractor and spending some time in Iraq), is repeatedly noted as one of the most violent deputies the department has produced.
Since 2003, Disclosure has chronicled incidents involving York that had him teaming up with the extremely violent Billy “PeeWee” Darnell of St. Francisville, beating handcuffed suspects, spraying mace in the mouths of restrained people, and, with the advent of TASERs being used by Lawrence County, indiscriminately using that weapon on many suspects, all without justification—including an incident in early 2010 involving one man whom York located sleeping in his truck, and who subsequently was awakened by York TASERing him.
Yet with all this, York has been the subject of only one lawsuit: That of two female dispatchers in 2000, who filed a sexual harassment case against the county that involved not only York and Darnell, but other sheriff’s department employees as well.
Blew off court
On March 27, York was to have showed up for a specific court case wherein he was, as arresting officer, to have given crucial testimony in a preliminary hearing.
However, officials told Disclosure, York had taken a couple of days off that week, reportedly for the birth of a grandchild.
The departure being inopportune, and without having informed the prosecutor (who was put in an awkward position without anyone to testify as to the facts of the state’s case against an accused person, as is the accused’s right), Quick reported the situation to the sheriff’s department.
Chief deputy Trent Masterson reportedly then gave York a stern talking-to about the importance of previously scheduled court appearances, and how, as arresting officer, it was York’s duty to ensure he appeared in court for such a case. (In the past, York’s “unavailability” to testify, specifically, for the second trial of Julie Rea, had endangered the state’s case against an individual; but he has also been caught lying on the stand, as well as fabricating things for police reports. However, up to this point, through thus far three other state’s attorneys [Todd Rietz, Pat Hahn and Lisa Wade], he’s been allowed to do just such a thing without repercussion.)
Upset over dressing-down
York was, of course, upset about having to be dressed-down by his superiors over the matter, as he apparently was still under the impression that he could do pretty much whatever he wanted, even now that Quick is in office.
That turning out to not be the case, eyewitnesses reported to Disclosure that the next day (Thursday, March 28), York entered Quick’s office at the courthouse and, passing through the reception area, went to the back room of the office—where Quick’s desk is, and from which there is only one entrance/exit.
York advised the county’s prosecutor that he needed to “put down his pen, stop writing, and listen,” as York was there to give Quick a piece of his mind.
Reports indicate that York at first was speaking in a normal tone of voice, but as he continued the haranguing, his voice grew louder and he became more animated.
The entire time, it was reported, Quick listened calmly to the deputy…until part of York’s animation was that he began placing his hand on the butt of his service weapon in the process of his diatribe.
After several moments of this, it was reported, Quick decided he’d had enough, and that York was getting out of control.
Quick walked out of his office, past York, and went to the entrance of the front office; York followed, still griping.
Quick reportedly turned to York and apparently made to put his hand on the deputy’s shoulder, in an effort to usher him out of the office—and York came unglued.
Screaming
At this point, York began literally screaming at Quick, to the effect, according to eyewitnesses, of “Don’t you put your f*^king hand on me, I’ll have you f*^king arrested!”
Quick reportedly pointed his finger at York and told him, “If you don’t get out of here, I’ll have YOU arrested!”
This of course set off York even worse.
Intensifying his screams at the prosecutor, York advanced on Quick, who saw fit at that point to leave the office altogether and go out to the lobby of the second floor (where the entrances to the courtrooms, as well as to the circuit clerk’s office, are). York followed, still screaming.
Apparently believing York was on his way to leave the scene, Quick saw an opportunity to retreat back to his office (where he could put two doors between himself and the deputy if he were fast enough), and this he did—but York came after him. It was at this point, when Quick was attempting to shut the bottom half of the split doors that open into the reception area, that York grabbed the very heavy bottom portion of the door, and in an effort to keep Quick from closing it and getting away, slammed it on Quick’s hand. This move trapped the middle finger of Quick’s right hand in the locking mechanism briefly, before Quick could get the door back open and extract his now-injured hand from the closed door.
Dialed 911
Quick then went to the back office and dialed 911.
Lawrence County dispatch answered, and Quick advised them to send an officer to the state’s attorney’s office, as there was a “disturbance,” not detailing the nature of the disturbance, who was involved, or how serious it was.
Deputies were dispatched via radio; however, this dispatch went over York’s portable, too.
At that point, York grabbed his microphone and advised “It’s ME; it’s ME, mother*^kers!! I’m the one in his office!!” as if this were going to prompt responding deputies to slow down or cease altogether their response.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen. And even more fortunately, others in the courthouse had their scanners on.
With York, at this time beet red, livid and very nearly nose-to-nose with Quick, still screaming at the prosecutor, probation officer Jeff Lynn came running up from his office in the basement, having heard the dispatch over his radio.
Before county officers could respond, Lynn, who is an imposing 6-foot-plus and fairly rugged and sturdily built compared to the petite York, was able to get between the deputy and the prosecutor, and when officers finally did reach the scene, Chief Deputy Trent Masterson was able to get York to step outside.
Masterson reportedly spoke with Quick, and it was decided that Quick should call Illinois State Police District 12.
He did, and an investigation into the matter was begun.
X-rays, OP issued
That afternoon, Quick traveled to Terre Haute (across the river from his home in Marshall), where he had the hand X-rayed to see if anything was broken. It was not; the finger was considered “jammed” and there wasn’t much that could be done for it except ice and caution when using his hand.
York was placed on administrative leave—with pay, as he’s part of the union and it’s very difficult to do anything with any of those people even when they do something as egregious as what York was alleged to have done—and at the advice of the state police, Quick petitioned the court the following Tuesday (April 2) to issue a civil no-contact order against the deputy.
New Second Circuit judge, T. Scott Webb, had to be brought up from White County to especially hear the case because every judge who ordinarily serves in Lawrence—resident judge Robert Hopkins, associate judges Kim Harrell and Mark Shaner—cited a conflict in the case, as they had presided over cases in which both Quick and York had appeared.
Quick’s petition read very simply: “Incident 1: Mr. York came into my office and spoke with Yvonne Brandenberg, my secretary. He told her he was pissed and wanted to speak to me and clear the air and that he wasn’t happy about what happened in court the prior day. Incident 2: Dep. York entered my office screaming and yelling about a case pending in Lawrence County Court. He refused to leave. After trying to get Dep. York out of my office and lock the door, he pushed the door open, shoving it into me and pushing it back and threatened to arrest me. I called 911 and Trent Masterson, Dep. Sheriff, escorted him from my office and the Illinois State Police were called to investigate. Dep. York has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation. By shoving the door into me, it jammed my fingers. I have had a doctor’s report as well as X-rays.”
Webb issued the OP on an emergency basis, setting a date for the plenary (two-year/permanent) order on April 15, which is Disclosure’s printing deadline.
There will be follow up to the situation on that day at Disclosure’s website, www.disclosurenewsonline.com.
Weapons removed
Disclosure confirmed with Lawrence County officials that on April 3, the day after the issuance of the OP, members of the Lawrence County sheriff’s department traveled to York’s residence and collected his weapons, Firearm Owner’s ID card and police credentials.
This, they explained, isn’t a removal of his police certification; but is merely anything identifying him as an officer of the law in the state of Illinois, until the whole thing can be sorted out.
The county’s sheriff, Russell Adams, issued a statement to Disclosure when reached for comment on the day of the incident:
“Neither myself nor anybody in my department condones such violence whether or not it is perpetrated against a pubic official or anyone else,” Adams, who was in Texas for his son’s Air Force activities on that day, said. “Deputy York has been sent home with pay pending the outcome of the investigation by the Illinois State Police.”
Despite his removal of status, York, and his buddy PeeWee, were observed extremely inebriated and trying to pick up young women at the Towne House Bar in downtown Lawrenceville, telling the ladies that they were both police officers and could “help them” get back across the river to Indiana where they were from if the ladies accompanied the two men, old enough to be their fathers, home with them.
A Lawrenceville police officer was seen briefly speaking to both “police officers” after they struck out with the ladies; this officer then turned away as both “police officers” got into their vehicles and drove away, drunk.
Apparently, despite the removal of his credentials and guns, York still believes he is untouchable in Lawrence County; residents hope the Illinois State Police eventually gives him cause to change his mind.