Woman Allegedly Stalked By Top Cop 'Felt Hopelessness'
Updated 10/09/12 - 9:51 p.m.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (CBS) -- Six months -- that's how long police in Schaumburg have been going by a woman's home, to make sure their own chief isn't harassing her.
Dawn Davis has filed a complaint against Schaumburg Police Chief Brian Howerton for allegedly stalking her.
Monday night, in an exclusive interview, Davis told CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman she fears for her safety. Now, Zekman continues the conversation with Davis.
"I felt just complete hopelessness," Davis said of her ordeal.
She said she felt trapped in a stormy 18-month relationship with the police chief.
Howerton has remained on the job while the village and Illinois State Police investigate, despite pressure from the police union, which questions why he hasn't been suspended.
The controversy began when Davis, Howerton's ex-girlfriend, filed a complaint in March, alleging the chief had been harassing her with hundreds of phone calls, and stalking her by following her and staking out her house.
Davis got hundreds of calls from Howerton's village cell phone – five in an eight-minute span on one day.
She said, when she tried ignoring the phone, Howerton once told her "that he was pacing the parking, lot trying to figure out ways to kill me, and he thought he'd run my body through a wood chipper."
When she got upset, "he responded to me that it was cop humor."
Davis said Howerton followed her in his unmarked village car when she went shopping, or to meet friends at a restaurant
"Brian was in the parking lot, and he was furious that I was here. He was in uniform," she said.
Once, when she tried to break it off because of all that, and alleged physical threats, she said his response was, "You should be thankful that you're dating me. Don't you know who I am? I'm the police."
Davis' attorney, Kaci Holguin, said, "Him being able to use his position, and to use public resources to further the elements of control and abuse in the relationship, is something that definitely demands to be fully investigated."
Howerton has remained on duty for the last nine months while officers who work under him have been assigned to a special watch for their police chief, who is not allowed to be in the area of Davis' house.
That special watch was ordered by the village, immediately after Davis filed her complaint last March, and requested protection, saying she was afraid for her safety.
Howerton was also ordered not to contact Davis, and she said he has not contacted her since then.
Village officials would not discuss the matter after a village board meeting Tuesday night. Neither would Howerton.
"The matter is still under investigation, and I can't talk until the investigation is concluded," Howerton said.
The village has denied giving any preferential treatment to Howerton, and officials have said – pending the outcome of the investigations – they stand behind him.
But Howerton has denied ever stalking, harassing, or threatening Davis. He said he cannot comment further, because of the ongoing investigations by the village and the Illinois State Police.
