NPD Officer Brian WIlliams is accused of stealing—and then trying to return—$12,000 in cash from the residence of someone who overdosed last week.
Press Release From Normal Police Chief Rick Bleichner:
“On November 25, 2019 officers from the Normal Police Department responded to a 911 call of a possible drug overdose at an address in Normal. Following the handling of that call the police department was notified of an allegation of missing money from the residence. The department began a criminal and internal investigation into the alleged theft. During the preliminary stage, facts supported the decision to utilize assistance from an outside agency to investigate the criminal theft. The Department asked for and received assistance from the Illinois State Police to investigate the alleged criminal theft.
As a result, Brian Williams, an 18-year officer with our department, was arrested on theft related charges by the Illinois State Police on November 29, 2019 and has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation. Our department will continue to run a parallel internal investigation, along with the State Police’s criminal investigation. The Normal Police Department holds the public’s trust in the highest regard and will work diligently to complete a thorough and effective investigation. The Department urges everyone to not rush to judgement and to allow time for the process to run its course and come to a factual conclusion before making any judgements. As this involves both a criminal and a personnel matter, there is no further information that will be released at this time.
The officers, staff and Administration of the Normal Police Department are committed to our mission to uphold the law and ensure a safe community for all. We will address this issue as expeditiously as possible while ensuring all policies and procedures are followed, in order to best serve our citizens and safeguard the public’s confidence.”
