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No charges after alleged “blood and vengeance” threat

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Illinois

* From a November, 2015 Bernie story about Republican Christopher Hicks not getting an endorsement for the Illinois House…

I heard from both sides that a telephone conversation between Hicks and Christian County GOP Chairman Seth McMillan didn’t go well when McMillan said his central committee is backing Bourne in the March primary. McMillan said Hicks was “confrontational,” which Hicks denies, saying it was McMillan who raised his voice.

“Maybe we both raised our voices,” McMillan said, adding that he hung up on Hicks.

But in an email to me about the situation, Hicks also wrote this: “Joe Woodward and the HRO are trying to run the Republican Party like a Nazi cult. If Avery Bourne does not disassociate herself from the HRO and Joe Woodward this election, she might as well start wearing the HRO swastika on her sleeve.”

Yeah. Hicks is never confrontational. Right.

* Today…

No charges have resulted, but Illinois State Police interviewed legislative candidate Christopher Hicks after he made what was reported as an “aggressive” statement at the Litchfield office of state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond.

According to the police report, Hicks told a legislative aide to Bourne that he would be “coming for blood and vengeance” if Bourne did not co-sponsor a bill about parental rights.

Police interviewed Hicks for about 30 minutes at his home on Nov. 13, and Hicks told them that what he had said was that if the bill did not pass, it would get pushed through with “political blood and vengeance,” according to an incident report obtained by The State Journal-Register under the Freedom of Information Act.

Hicks told police the comment was “political in nature” and meant that advocates of the bill would challenge candidates and “push them out of office,” the report added. It also said Hicks thought the comment was taken out of context and that he had no intention of causing physical harm or violence.

“Hicks acknowledged that some of his words may not have been the best to use, but he never threatened anyone with physical harm,” the report stated. “Hicks was extremely apologetic and wanted us to pass on … to Representative Bourne that he was sorry for the misunderstanding.”

Allegedly threatening to come back for “blood and vengeance” if you don’t get what you want is not your usual every-day mild-mannered comment. They were obviously freaked out enough to call the ISP, no matter what Hicks claims he said.

I sure hope the state cops know what they’re doing here.

Hicks is running in a contested Republican primary for the 48th District Senate seat.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 3:09 pm

Comments

==I sure hope the state cops know what they’re doing here.==

Or State’s Attorney

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 3:12 pm
Is being a wacko a requirement to be a Republican candidate.

GOP, get your act together.

Comment by Sarah Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 3:17 pm
Hicks has a habit of making inappropriate, juvenile comments. Just look through his facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/HicksforStateSenate/

Comment by Under Influenced... Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 3:21 pm
“I’m sorry if what I said was taken out of context….I am truly, truly sorry (btw, TWO ‘truly’s means they are really, really sorry) if anyone was offended by my rabid, threatening behavior. My heart and prayers go out those who misunderstood my threat to be serious. I intend to hole up until this thing blows over, and take a hard look at how I can avoid getting caught like this again”. #fake candidate.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 3:27 pm
Two points.

1. Rep. Bourne is fairly accessible, so if Mr. Hicks wanted to truly apologize then he could have easily told her himself. Asking the ISP to do it for him is cowardly.

2. Not sure about which county would have prosecutorial discretion - and they both might - as Rep. Bourne’s office is in Montgomery County and Mr. Hicks lives in Macoupin County. However, both the Montgomery and Macoupin state’s attorneys are Democrats and Mike Mathis was instrumental in appointing the current Macoupin County State’s Attorney when the previous officeholder retired. There is certainly no love lost between Senator Manar, Mike Mathis and the local Democratic leaders and Rep. Bourne. Small town politics and pettiness at its finest.

Comment by Curl of the Burl Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 3:34 pm
Guy gives Hicks a bad name.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 3:36 pm
Based on past experience and the George Ryan, first Drew Perterson,Ridulph and many other investigations, I’m pretty sure the state cops have no idea what they are doing.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 4:09 pm
Based on past experience and your spelling, I’m pretty sure you generally don’t have a clue.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 4:14 pm
if you think Hicks’ comments on his own FB page are wackjob, see what he writes on other folks’ pages.

Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 4:50 pm
Hicks is a tad loony, but Bourne is horrible in that office

Comment by Nightowl Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 6:25 pm
- Nightowl - Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 6:25 pm:

Hicks is a tad loony, but Bourne is horrible in that office

A tad? Any time this kid is not given what he wants, he loses it. He stalks, threatens, and/or flies into obscene tangents of rage. He makes these types of comments and then when confronted about it, it is ALWAYS that he was misunderstood or someone is out to get him. He needs to get a grip if he wants to be considered for public office.
And I agree, Bourne is a horrible representative for her district.

Comment by Been there, done that Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 7:23 pm
The quote sounds like its inspired from either “Blood and Soil” or “Blood and Iron.” I doubt the guy is a Bismarck fan too.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Dec 6, 17 @ 9:06 pm
Rumor has it he has been threatening Seth McMillan’s staffers and anyone who pulled his petitions. Makes you think he’s nowhere close to 1,000.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Dec 7, 17 @ 6:43 am
–Is being a wacko a requirement to be a Republican candidate.–

Yes. The angry, energized fringe is their base and target audience.

Comment by King Louis XVI Thursday, Dec 7, 17 @ 9:13 am