Jan. 24--Shootings by police have become national news, the subject of protests, discipline and sometimes criminal charges. But one recent Chicago-area police shooting is drawing special praise from within the law enforcement community.
Crystal Lake police Officer Krzysztof Krol has been named the Officer of the Year by the McHenry County Chiefs of Police Association for a case last summer in which he shot a suspect during a domestic disturbance.
Association President John Lieb, deputy chief in Woodstock, said he anticipated that some people would take exception to the award, but the association members think Krol handled a dangerous situation properly. Krol shot the man, not fatally, to defuse a situation that posed a threat to him and others present, and then provided first aid to the suspect, according to court records and police accounts.
Events leading to the shooting began June 21 at a Crystal Lake home, where police said a man beat and threatened to kill a woman but fled before authorities arrived. A short time later, the same man was reported to police as an "unwanted subject" at another local residence.
Krol responded to that home, and normally would have waited for a backup officer, Crystal Lake police Deputy Chief Derek Hyrkas said. But he heard people yelling in the back of the house and decided he had to act immediately to protect those involved, Hyrkas said.
When Krol approached, a man identified by others present as the suspect ran inside. Krol followed, and the man "charged at him in a threatening manner" with a knife, police said.
The officer shot the man at least once, officials have said. Krol then rendered first aid, called for help and put direct pressure on the man's wound until paramedics arrived to take him to Centegra Hospital in Woodstock.
The man who was shot, Joseph Laudicina, 30, was later charged with attempted murder of a police officer, residential burglary and aggravated domestic battery, among other offenses. He was out of the hospital by an early July court date and is now being held at McHenry County Jail.
His attorney, Assistant Public Defender Angelo Mourelatos has said that the knife in question was a butter knife. Mourelatos declined to comment when reached last week.
Krol also could not be reached for comment.
A Chicago civil rights attorney questioned the award. Basileios "Bill" Foutris is representing the family of Quintonio LeGrier, a 19-year-old who allegedly was wielding a baseball bat when a Chicago officer shot him six times and killed him while responding to a domestic disturbance last month.
"Anything can be a dangerous weapon, that doesn't mean it warrants a shooting," Foutris said in a telephone interview.
"I'd think you'd nominate people who are de-escalating situations, turning a tense situation into a peaceful situation, where everybody walks away unharmed," he said. "It's sending a message: 'We've got your back even if you shoot somebody with a butter knife.'"
An independent consultant in police use of force contacted by the Tribune also offered his perspective on the award.
Christopher Chapman, a former sergeant for police in Cranford, N.J., now provides police training and testifies in legal cases about use of force. He said he did not know the specifics of the case, but in general, a metal object, even a butter knife, could potentially be a deadly weapon.
"The standard police have is to reasonably believe their life is in danger," Chapman said.
Many factors come into play, he said, based on what the officer knew at the time, not on what is learned later.
"If it's a domestic, to put yourself in harm's way to save other people, I think that is heroic," he said.
Two other officers were also nominated for the McHenry County chiefs' award. Harvard police Detective Verle Leard was nominated for his investigations of major crimes, including a sexual assault that resulted in an 18-year prison sentence for the man convicted.
Woodstock Officer Jeremy Mortimer got the nod for his work as a school resource officer, doing community outreach and providing presentations to youths on topics including the dangers of sexting and cyberbullying, Lieb said.
rmccoppin@tribpub.com
