Family Still Steamed Over False 'Honeybee' Arrest
LYNWOOD, Ill. (STMW) - Members of Brian Dorian's family are relieved that a man suspected of being the "honeybee killer" no longer is a threat to anyone.
But they also still are plenty angry that Dorian, a south suburban Lynwood police officer, originally was charged and released in the case.
Sources have said a ballistics test confirmed the gun used in the killings of two men near the Illinois-Indiana border on Oct. 5 was the same gun used Saturday night by Gary Amaya in a foiled robbery attempt at L.A. Tan in Orland Park in which Amaya was shot and killed by a customer who grabbed the gun.
John Dorian, Brian's father, on Tuesday referred to the customer, Jason McDaniel, as a "hero" who was lucky to come out of it alive.
"More power to him," said John Dorian, who said Brian was staying with family Tuesday and wasn't available to comment. "You don't always know what you're going to do in that situation."
John Dorian cynically wondered how McDaniel escaped being charged by Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, even though the incident occurred in Cook County.
"It surprises me that Glasgow did not arrest the customer for shooting the killer who was unarmed," Dorian chided.
He still was upset that Brian was charged five days after the "honeybee" shootings with little evidence.
"Why was he arrested? Because he drove a pickup? What other evidence did they have?" he asked.
Two retired police chiefs for whom Brian Dorian worked also said Tuesday they never believed for a second he was capable of what he had been charged with.
"It didn't match his character at all," former Lynwood Police Chief Dave Palmer said. He was Brian Dorian's boss for six years.
"What frosted me most was to charge him so quickly on what they had, which was ridiculous," Palmer said. "All they had was one witness and a lot of circumstantial evidence. They could have held him while they did some homework. That falls on the prosecutor."
Former Lansing Police Chief Dan McDevitt, who described Dorian as a compassionate officer who knew how to deal well with people, felt similarly but did not believe the decision to have Dorian arrested was made by the Will County or Lake County, Ind., police departments.
"I know (Will County Sheriff) Paul Kaupas and (Lake County Sheriff) Roy Dominguez. Neither would jump to conclusions," said McDevitt, who was Dorian's chief for 18 months when Dorian was on the Lansing police force.
McDevitt thinks all due scrutiny should be applied in investigations into whether Amaya was the honeybee killer.
"If this knucklehead armed robber is actually the shooter in the other two incidents, great," McDevitt said. "But you can't jump to that conclusion, either. They need to go over and beyond ballistics. Lake and Will counties will do that. They're good police departments."
When they had lunch together a couple of weeks ago, Palmer told Dorian the fiasco may make him a better cop.
"He's now stood in the shoes of someone who was wrongly accused. I told him to learn something from that," Palmer said.
Still, Palmer wonders how Dorian will get his reputation back.
So does John Dorian, and Brian's brother, Lance, who said Saturday's incident may not be enough to rescue Brian's reputation and compensate for his travails.
"To be put through what he was — being called a 'rogue cop.' It was ridiculous," Lance said.
John Dorian said he would go to court if it had happened to him.
"I'd sue for false arrest, defamation of character and violation of my civil rights," he said. "I'd sue anyone involved in putting Brian behind bars. But Brian (who turned 38 Monday) is a grown man. That'll be his decision."
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
