Lynwood Cop Advised To Sue Over Mistaken Arrest
LYNWOOD, Ill. (STMW) - Brian Dorian's boss had some advice for the Lynwood cop charged with gunning down three men in a two-state shooting spree: Sue Will County.
"After everything he's been through, he has every right to sue, and I hope that he does it," said Lynwood police Chief Russell Pearson.
But Dorian, who was jailed for four days earlier this month when he was wrongfully arrested as the Honey Bee killer, has yet to take legal action. For one thing, Dorian's going to need a new lawyer, said Bob O'Dekirk, who is one of the attorneys who represented the Lynwood cop when he was facing the murder charge.
"It's something that we can't handle because we would be potential witnesses in any lawsuit," said O'Dekirk, who added that Dorian is "exploring all his options."
Dorian was arrested three days after two men were shot near Beecher and a third outside Lowell, Ind., a short time later on Oct. 5. One of the men gunned down in the Beecher attack, 45-year-old Rolando Alonso, was killed.
Dorian was identified in a lineup by one of the survivors and charged with Alonso's murder. But the Internet history on Dorian's home computer showed he was home at the time of the shootings, prompting police and prosecutors to admit they arrested the wrong man.
Pearson said he could have told them that from the beginning. In fact, he said, he did tell them. They just didn't listen.
"I told them they were making a big mistake," Pearson said.
"I asked them over and over about evidence," he said. "They said they had evidence, which apparently they did not."
Pearson went on to say that he learned about Dorian's arrest on the TV news.
"I did not get a call from Will County," he said. "I had to call them."
Dorian has been on disability leave with a shoulder injury for about a year now, Pearson said. The chief explained that Dorian was hurt while fighting with a man who was hopped up on drugs.
Dorian is due to return to work soon, according to Pearson. But a source said last week that Dorian was so traumatized by his arrest that he may not be able to ever resume his duties as a police officer.
Pearson said he was not aware of this.
"If he can't (work again), we'll deal with it at the time," he said. "But as far as I'm concerned, he's part of the team."
The same source said last week that the Village of Lynwood and the police department were considering taking legal action against Will County in the event Dorian cannot bring himself to be a cop again and goes out on a disability pension.
Lynwood Village Clerk Roel Valle said he had no knowledge of this. Neither did Pearson, but the chief wants his officer to take his own legal action.
"Yes, I think he should sue," said Pearson, telling of his concern for Dorian, whom he has known since the officer was a child growing up in Lynwood.
"I hope he can put this behind him," Pearson said. "I hope he can move forward."
