Zach's Strange Corner of Thought
You Made A Wrong Turn Awhile Back!
Information included: how & why personal data is collected, recommendations on how to protect yourself and your data, ACLU recommendations on Illinois legislation to protect digital privacy, and past ACLU legislative victories going back fifteen years.
Numerous pro-Palestinian activists descended on Peoria City Hall on February 13th, 2024 calling on the City Council to pass a resolution supporting a ceasefire to the Israeli War on Gaza. The resolution calls on both Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities and for both to release all hostages they have.
Several Zionists were also present and opposed the Ceasefire resolution stating it is not a local government’s business to issue such declarations and that a ceasefire could increase incidents of anti-Semitism.
Check out these videos from the City Council Meeting:
19-year old African-American woman, Taylor Brown, failed to appear in court this morning at the Law & Justice Center in McLean County. Brown has been charged with two counts of Aggravated Battery of Police Officers over an incident that occurred at the Normal Police Department last year on February 9th, 2023. Brown was told to surrender her phone to police officers, though they had no warrant and articulated no probable cause. Officers attempted to seize the phone, and Ms. Brown resisted leading to a struggle. The videos of this incident have gone viral, with many condemning the police’s actions. Ms. Brown later filed a civil lawsuit against the Normal Police Department.
Brown was formally charged on January 17th, 2024, nearly a year after the initial incident. Charges were brought forth by Tom Brown (no relation) of the Office of the Illinois State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor. McLean County State’s Attorney Erika Reynolds recused her office’s involvement in the investigation last May over an unknown conflict of interest.
Brown failed to appear in court today. Special Prosecutor Brown stated during the hearing that police had attempted to deliver a summons to appear at Taylor Brown’s last known address in Normal, IL. According to Prosecutor Brown, the police are unaware of Taylor Brown’s current location. The special prosecutor requested a bench warrant be issued to bring Ms. Brown into custody. Judge Scott Black granted the request and issued an arrest warrant for Taylor Brown. Prosecutor Brown declined to comment on the case to Agitating Rising.
About an hour away, in the Federal Courthouse in Peoria, Ms. Brown missed another court hearing as well. The hearing was concerning Brown’s own civil rights attorneys withdrawing from her civil rights lawsuit against the Normal Police Department. US Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley granted the motion to withdraw by attorneys Abby Bakos and Ronak Maisuria. Both attorneys stated they did not know Brown’s current location. The court will now issue a notice to appear to Ms. Brown’s last known address. Brown will have 14 days to appear before Judge Hawley and explain the cause of her absence. If Ms. Brown does not appear, the civil rights lawsuit will be dropped.
Taylor Brown has not responded to multiple request by Agitation Rising for a comment. She is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Taylor Brown was charged with two counts of Aggravated Battery of a Police Officer based on a now viral arrest from February of last year.
So, how often are Sheriff’s Deputies requesting SWAT assistance from BPD or any SWAT team in the area?
After a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Agitation Rising has discovered McLean County Sheriff’s Deputies have only requested SWAT assistance from another department once in the last year & a half.
Agitation Rising previously reported that the Bloomington City Council would have to approve the EAGLE intergovernmental agreement between the McLean County Deputies Office and the Bloomington Police Department (BPD). This is not the case. The EAGLE agreement requires each agency funds its own equipment and training. Funding for BPD’s SWAT team has already been appropriated by the Bloomington City Council, and the agreement would not require additional funding for BPD.
Agitation Rising also implied that Task Force 6 had its own separate SWAT team. This is untrue. Task Force 6 relies on the SWAT teams of its constituent members.
These errors have been corrected.
