A longtime-McLean county resident and McLean county board applicant was forced to relive the trauma of being stabbed 19 times after being questioned by a Democrat board member.
“This gentleman came walking down the street, he brandished a knife and attacked me in my front yard. I was stabbed 19 times, I defended myself…and because of the fact we ended up on public property (the street) I was arrested,” answered Chad Berck, a Republican applicant for the county board District 5 seat.
The county board district 5 seat was left vacant by Republican John McIntyre after he resigned abruptly due to health concerns. Elizabeth Johnston serves as the other board member in that district and asked Berck about his “temperament” in a public forum. Johnston claims to know several people in Ironwood neighborhood who have concerns about his temperament because he was arrested for self defense.
In May of 2022, Chad Berck fought back for his life against his aggressor (who had multiple priors including in 2016 a stabbing of an Illinois State student), and because of some of the “inconsistencies” in various statements to police, Normal arrested him.
Berck thanked Elizabeth Johnston for her question. Berck was never convicted and the judge presiding over his case apologized to him and his family in court, which is publicly available information. Johnston seemed hesitant in asking the question, in fact Berck told Johnson she didn’t have to apologize for asking the question.
“If you have any further questions I would be happy to answer them,” said Berck.
The room fell silent and no other McLean County board members mentioned his arrest nor did they condemn the question asked by Johnston.
James DeWitt, the man was arrested for two counts of aggravated battery for stabbing two black males who were with a white female. Dewitt was not arrested in the stabbing of Chad Berck.
According to police, the witnesses/victims said that James DeWitt allegedly ran his mouth about a white female being a race traitor for hanging out with a couple of black males, which DeWitt reportedly called them “fucking niggers” in his booze-addled state.
DeWitt has never been convicted of stabbing Berck and local media have not covered this story. GunsSaveLife and BLNNEWS have covered the 2022 incident, but other publications have not.
That’s not James Dewitt screaming, “Help Me!”
“I stood there bleeding and they put handcuffs on me and took me to the jail in front of my children, who now my youngest sleeps with a Nerf gun, and we have to have counseling because of the trauma that they’ve gone through and have an existing order of protection against this man because of all the harassment,” Berck told this writer.
James Allen Dewitt pled guilty to criminal trespass in 2021. In 2016 he was charged with aggravated Battery/use of a deadly weapon (where witness reported him using racial slurs.) It appears those charges were dropped in 2017.
Berck did not have a criminal history before this.
Other Meeting Takeaways
There are four candidates the McLean County board will have to consider when voting at their Thursday meeting. Cathy Woods, Randy Knapp, Chad Berck and David Paul Blumenshine.
Currently the board has a Democrat-majority because the Democrats and a few Republicans voted to fill a Democrat vacancy at the last meeting. Republicans voted on Catherine Metsker to fill the chairmanship on the board at the last meeting prior to filling the Democrat vacancy.
David Paul Blumenshine, a Cities 92.9 radio host, applied and was question by Lea Cline, a Democrat.
Lea Cline pressed Blumenshine about his prior campaigns and failures to get elected in the 105th state house district and the Normal Town Council.
Blumenshine pointed out he nearly beat career-politician Dan Brady in a primary with 38% of the vote and said he ran to raise awareness about the trouble the state was in.
“A third election would have meant I had a good chance,” said Blumenshine. Brady, shortly after being up against Blumenshine in the primary, announced he wasn’t going to seek another term and instead tried his luck at securing the Secretary of State position but failed to Democrat Alexi Giannoulias.
“When someone fails in life, I believe that’s a good indicator that person is willing to move forward… and I don’t think any of us here can say we have succeeded in everything we’ve done,” said Blumenshine.
In the Land of Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, failed more than most at running for various offices but was determined to ultimately become president and end slavery by signing the Emancipation Proclamation.
Cathy Woods said her experience in finance and volunteer work make her the best candidate for the vacant board seat.
Some of her volunteer work includes donating to Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, which is far-left Texas organization that “helps improve the Black trans and nonbinary human experience.”
Woods is seeking to fill a Republican seat. Ultimately Metsker will nominate a candidate and that candidate will have to be voted on by the Democrat-majority county board.