Cicero president proposes death penalty, harsher laws after detective's murder

CICERO, Ill. - Cicero Town President Larry Dominick is calling for stricter penalties for criminals who hurt or kill law enforcement officers, including the reinstatement of the death penalty in Illinois.

Dominick's plea came after the recent killing of Oak Park Police Detective Allan Reddins, who was fatally shot while responding to a call about a suspect with a gun Friday morning. 

"I believe that tougher mandatory punishments for injuring or killing a police officer will send a clear message to criminals that if they cross that line, they will face severe mandatory prison time and punishment and even the death sentence," Dominick said.

Dominick, a 20-year veteran of the police force, emphasized the need to protect officers who risk their lives daily. He proposed mandatory prison sentences of 20 years for pointing a gun at an officer, 40 years for shooting an officer, and the death penalty for killing an officer.

Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011. However, Dominick argued that the current legal framework is insufficient to deter violent crime against law enforcement. He pointed to the deaths of four Chicago police officers in the last two years as evidence of the growing danger they face. 

Officer Andrés Vásquez Lasso, 32, was fatally shot while responding to a domestic disturbance in the Gage Park neighborhood on March 1, 2023.

Officer Aréanah Preston, 24, was shot and killed outside her home after finishing her shift on May 6, 2023.

On April 21, 2024, Officer Luis Huesca, 30, was ambushed and fatally shot while returning home from work. 

Most recently, Officer Enrique Martinez, 26, was killed during a traffic stop on the city's South Side on Nov. 4, 2024.