Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz says she won’t be filing criminal charges against Champaign police officer Matt Rush. Rush has been the subject of four excessive force lawsuits – three of them, to date, resulting in settlements.
The three excessive force lawsuit settlements involving police officer Matt Rush total $320,000. Concerned citizens have been calling for for Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz to file charges against Rush. Council members also may lobby with Urbana leaders for changes in the police union arbitration process.
Champaign City Council members Tuesday approved a second excessive force lawsuit settlement involving Police Officer Matt Rush, this one for $225,000, but only after an hour of emotional public comments and a march by activists through the downtown streets, calling for Rush to step down and face criminal charges.
Attorney Sally Scott of Chicago-based Franczek Radelet provided a brief history of the Unit 4 consent decree, and its 2009 settlement to address racial inequities. But community leaders who worked on the agreement want more changes in areas like discipline and hiring.
The Urbana City Council Monday night unimously supported new alderman Aaron Ammons, who later was the lone opponent in an initial vote supporting tasers for police.
