Peoria Standard

State Sen. Sally Turner (R-Lincoln) is pressing for legislation designed to help keep Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) workers safe on the job.

Senate Bill 4165 would allow staffers to carry pepper spray while on the job. The push for this legislation comes after two DCFS investigators were killed on the job over the last 48 months.

“I’m proud to be a chief co-sponsor of Bill 4165 along with my friend and co-worker Steve McClure (R-Jacksonville),” Turner said at a recent news conference. “First, I just want to say today we're here to not only mourn the deaths of Pam (Knight) and Deidre (Silas) but also to take action. If they just would have had one moment to help them to escape, this is what we're here for, just to offer that one moment. We also want to make sure that employees know how to safely carry and use pepper spray. This bill requires the Illinois State Police to develop a training program for the DCFS staff.”

Knight was severely beaten in 2017 when she was visiting a Midgeville home to take a two-year-old girl into protective custody. She died from her injuries after several months in a coma. Andrew Sucher was charged in the case and eventually signed a plea deal for 21 years in jail with no parole.

According to WQAD, Sucher is now seeking clemency, with Knight’s husband, Don, pushing Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reject the request.

State Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Sterling) is now also heading up a group of seven bi-partisan legislators supporting Knight’s request.

“No I don't think he deserves mercy,” McCombie said. “He showed no mercy with Pam.”

Don Knight said he doesn’t think current laws do enough to protect DCFS social workers.

“What I want to know is what was his reason for wanting to get out,” he said. “Bottom line for the family is 21 years isn't long enough and there’s no way he should get out any earlier than that.”

Over the last several months, McCombie has reintroduced a bill in the House that would increase protections for DCFS workers. The measure previously passed the House in 2019, but ultimately stalled in the Senate. The bill would increase the sentencing for assaulting a worker on the job to up to ten years, and would make the punishment the same as that administered for an attack of a police officer, firefighter or teacher.

“We don't want people to murder those who are put on the front lines to protect our most vulnerable,” McCombie said. “They need to be punished for that, absolutely need to be punished for that. It’s Pam’s bill, that is a call to protect those who are serving those most vulnerable children and families.”

The 36-year-old Silas was stabbed to death in January while performing a home visit at a residence in Thayer.

Officers from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office said they arrived at the home to find Silas dead inside with six young children around, none of whom witnessed the attack.

While Barrie Graham told CBS Chicago her daughter loved the work she did, her father, Roy, said he doesn’t believe his daughter is receiving the kind of honors bestowed on other public servants who die in the line of duty.

Police have since charged 32-year-old Benjamin Reed with first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.