Ex. South Beloit Police Chief Will Stand Trial - His Alleged Victim Speaks Out

SOUTH BELOIT - A former South Beloit police chief accused of strangling a handcuffed woman while in police custody will be going to trial.  Ex-Chief Tom Fearn and his attorney were in court Thursday, trying to dismiss the case altogether, but a judge denied the motion. 

Fearn showed little emotion when he heard his case will be going to trial, and emotion is exactly what the alleged victim in this case, Veronica McIntyre is looking for, saying she wants to see just a little remorse from the man she says ruined her life.

"They were terribly abusive," said McIntyre, speaking out for the first time in an exclusive interview with WTVO News. 

"I was tased with my hands handcuffed and everybody that saw the video can see exactly what happened."

The video McIntyre references is the surveillance video attained from the South Beloit police department, from the night McIntyre says she was brought in four years ago in 2008.  The video shows who is allegedly ex-Chief Tom Fearn, grabbing McIntyre by the neck and throwing her onto a bench after not following an order to sit down.  McIntyre was allegedly intoxicated at the time.  The video also shows ex-Sergeant Brad McCaslin tasing her for doing the same thing.

"Public servants, they're supposed to be there to help us and protect us, not hold us down, hold out feet and strangle us," said McIntyre.

"Then to turn around and say that they didn't harm anybody, so charges should be dropped... it's affected my entire life."

McIntyre says the event has exacerbated a decades long problem with depression, which has lead her back to more therapy.

After denying Fearn's motion to dismiss all charges at a hearing today, the judge hearing the case, Judge John Truitt set a status hearing date of October 29, which is also the deadline for filing any other pre-trial motions.

Fearn and his attorney left the courtroom quickly after the hearing adjourned.  He is the first of three South Beloit officials being charged in the McIntyre case.  The other two are the sergeant accused to tasing her, Brad McCaslin, and former South Beloit mayor Randy Kirichkow. 

"I'm just so furious that an entire community could have sat on this for so long," said McIntyre.  "It didn't even come to public sight for over four years after it happened.  It's terrible the way it's been covered up and still is."

Fearn's trial is set for December 10.  The charges for the other two South Beloit officials are still pending.