Illinois House and Senate Democrats – mostly lawmakers of color – are getting involved in what has become a big story in Springfield – racist social media posts, allegedly by a man who was on the police force.
Officer Aaron Nichols resigned Tuesday, rather than sit for an interview with the Springfield Police Department’s internal affairs division. It’s alleged that – behind screen names – he spent years posting racist, anti-gay, anti-Semitic screeds suggesting that, as an officer, he treats members of those groups differently than he does whites.
State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is a former alderwoman and says this hurts her hometown. “The things that were said were horrific. We hope that no one who holds a position of public trust holds those views,” she said. “But, unfortunately, we know that those things happen.”
A police department statement says the investigation will continue, despite Nichols’ departure.
=letter from House and Senate Democrats==
As members of the Illinois General Assembly, we come from several different caucuses (Asian-American, Black, Jewish, Latino, Progressive, and Queer) to demand that the Springfield Police Department fully address the incredibly disturbing allegations of hate activity by an officer in their employ. We further urge all of our law enforcement partners to identify and eliminate the presence of officers in your ranks who operate without respect for our constitution, the human dignity of our communities, or basic human decency.
We learned this week via an investigation by Anonymous that Officer Aaron P. Nichols appears to be the person behind several online accounts (including one on Ken Griffin funded Gab) associated with extreme right wing agendas including racism, homophobia, and antisemitism. A post published 4/1/2022 provides extensive details of the investigative methodology and links to Officer Nichols’ online accounts and disturbing posts. We have subsequently learned that the Springfield Police Department has suspended Officer Nichols and are thankful for their swift action. We await the results of a truly independent investigation.