Cop Fired After Harassing Pro-Lifers

Caroling in front of American Women's Medical Center [Photo by Dan Gura, Pro-Life Action League]

(Dec. 3, 2007) At the prompting of the Thomas More Society, a Chicago suburb has voted unanimously to fire a policemen following a severe harassment of a pro-life counselor outside an abortion mill.

The Des Plaines, Ill. Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, acting under the direction of Police Chief James Prandini, unanimously fired police officer Dick Lalowski.

The department alleged that while on duty in May 2006, Lalowski threatened to arrest a group of women as they were gathering outside the American Women's Medical Center on South River Road in Des Plaines, though the protesters were not interfering with the clinic's operations. Lalowski returned in civilian clothes after he had gone off-duty and confronted the protesters, the department alleged.

"This was an important case for us," Prandini said after the decision. "It sets the tone for our conduct. We can't have officers treat people like this."

The Thomas More Society began its work on the case when it pressed a complaint and triggered a disciplinary proceeding, working with the city's counsel and police administrators.

Following is an account of the harassment incident as described in a recent letter from the Thomas More Society to supporters. To join the mailing list, please contact the Thomas More Society.

An enthusiastic young lady named Paula had been saving babies at this abortion provider regularly for years. Neither Paula nor other pro-lifers had any big problem with the police before May 20 last year. On the contrary, we had helped these pro-lifers cultivate a good relationship with the Des Plaines Police Department and city government. And that's why Des Plaines was always a great place for pro-life activists to save babies from abortion – until Paula met a cop-gone-berserk.

Let me tell you Paula's “secret” for saving babies from abortion. As the pregnant mothers approach death's door, she gives them gift baskets. Yes, gift baskets! Paula's gift baskets contain baby items, including a teddy bear with a printed message that says, “I love you, Mommy!” She makes up these gift baskets ahead of time and then offers them to the pregnant mothers entering the abortionist's parking lot.

It's amazing how effective Paula's gift baskets are in touching the hearts of the pregnant mothers. Countless pregnant mothers have changed their minds after getting a gift basket.

Well, at 6:00 a.m. on the day in question, a uniformed police officer had nearly finished with his midnight shift when he took it into his head to stop at the abortion mill to “warn” the pro-lifers. The abortion mill was outside his “beat.” No one had complained about the pro-lifers or requested his presence there. Nor did he report to headquarters that he was stopping to confront the pro-lifers.

The officer questioned Paula and her sister about their intentions. Paula showed him the gift baskets, and he saw the written message on the Teddy Bear. When he read aloud the message, “I love you, Mommy,” his face reddened and twisted with anger and his voice turned sour with sarcasm.

Angry cop drops the “F” bomb

Then he yelled in a loud, reprimanding tone, “THAT'S INTIMIDATION!” In the same angry tone, he yelled, “IF YOU GIVE ANYONE A BASKET, I WILL F****** ARREST YOU!” Police officers aren't supposed to use the “F” word or any other kind of crude or abusive language. Rather, the rules require that they conduct themselves with dignity and professionalism.

The out-of-control cop scared Paula. He was threatening to arrest her for doing what she knew she had a right to do! Indeed, with our advice and counsel she had been doing it for years.

Paula asked him what offense he believed she would be committing. He repeated his earlier threat, “IF YOU F****** GIVE A BASKET TO ANYONE, I WILL ARREST YOU!” Paula noted his badge number, 363, and his last name, Lalowski. In a loud, sarcastic voice he compared the ladies to the Taliban for “intimidating women” and said he would arrest them for “disorderly conduct.”

He also mocked Paula for her Catholic faith, claiming the Church was full of pedophiles.

Then Officer Lalowski shifted his focus and started mocking Paula for her personal appearance. He told her she was a “fat f****** cow” who needed to solve her own personal problems. He also compared her to someone trying to solve a personal problem by seeking an abortion.

Finally Officer Lalowski drove off because he was near the end of his midnight shift. But an hour later when he was off duty, he returned to the abortion mill. This time, though, he appeared in civilian clothes. He “greeted” Paula by telling her, “I want to help you!”

Paula was puzzled and fearful when she realized this was the very same man who had just used crude, abusive language against her, mocked her for being overweight, ridiculed her Catholic faith, and threatened to arrest her.

Lalowski told Paula he was now off duty, and he repeated his odd remark, “I'm here to help you.” Then he resumed his harangue about Paula's personal appearance. For the next 90 minutes, he mocked her for being fat. He yelled. He screamed. He got right in her face. At times, his nose was just two inches from her nose.

As angry as a wild animal, his face turned beet red with raw hate

Officer Lalowski was pulsing with rage. Like a wild animal, he seemed unpredictable. At times, his face turned beet red with anger. The arteries in his neck were bulging. He was veering out of control, as if he were on the verge of going “postal” in a murderous rage. Paula was worried that he might be packing a pistol under his shirt or in an ankle holster. She had no doubt he was capable of using a firearm against a human target. Little did Paula know her instinct was all too true.

You see, in 1995, Officer Lalowski had shot and killed a civilian who was armed with a “BB” gun. In other words, the civilian had a kid's gun. But Lalowski avoided punishment for shooting the man because he swore that he thought the man was armed with an actual firearm.

So worried were the other pro-lifers at the mill that they asked a uniformed officer present at the abortion mill for help. He didn't lift a finger.

In frustration, the pro-lifers called 911. They described the emergency. But the 911 operator told them an officer was already at the scene. The pro-lifers made two more calls to 911 but to no avail. The 911 operator wouldn't lift a finger. No help came. And the uniformed officer on the scene never even got out of his squad car.

Thus, Paula was at the mercy of Lalowski's angry bullying, threats, and outrageous insults.

Unbelievably crude and vulgar insults

As Lalowski got closer and closer to Paula, she backed away from him. But he kept coming on as if to try to make facial contact with her. He relentlessly came on to her, repeating that he was going to “help” her. He was dogging her. When he got nose-to-nose with her, he again called her a “fat f****** cow” in a loud, sarcastic voice.

Lalowski said, “Where is your food? I know you're hiding some. Where is it?” He also called her “the Taliban,” “fatty,” and so on. He wouldn't stop badgering and teasing her and poking fun at her with these and other verbal insults. And one of his insults was too disgusting to print even in a disguised, “bleeped” form.

At one point, Lalowski even got down on all fours like an animal to demonstrate the exercises he said would help Paula lose weight. He told her that she was so fat that she couldn't get a man to have sexual relations with her, and that's why she didn't have any children. Lalowski claimed that was the real reason Paula was “trying to interfere with women” going into the abortion mill.

Lalowski paws Paula in a “creepy, sexual manner”
and gives her an unwanted bear hug  

After demonstrating his physical prowess in doing exercises, Lalowski got up and started pawing Paula. He began rubbing her arms in a creepy, sexual manner. Paula was petrified with fear. He told her she'd be beautiful and more attractive sexually to men if she'd follow his advice and lose some weight. Lalowski also gave Paula an unwanted bear hug while Paula prayed for a policeman to arrive and put an end to her terror.

Lalowski's conduct, both in uniform and out of uniform, was ugly, unprofessional, unjustified, and reprehensible. He betrayed the public trust. That's why our lead attorney Tom Brejcha undertook to help Paula. Detailed, formal complaints were carefully drafted and lodged with the Des Plaines Police Department and city officials. With our help, multiple disciplinary charges were instituted, and we lined up no less than six witnesses to testify against Lalowski at a long, well-publicized Police Board hearing last April.

After briefs were filed, the Police Board found Lalowski guilty of all seven charges against him. The Board consequently fired Lalowski. The Board also punished the officer who was present at the scene but who didn't even bother to get out of his car during Lalowski's out-of-control rant. And the Board may yet discipline the 911 operator who wouldn't lift a finger to help the pro-lifers.