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NIU Police Defend One Of Their Own

A DeKalb County judge could decide today whether to proceed with a student’s sexual assault case against a former Northern Illinois University police officer. 

Attorneys for Andrew Rifkin are asking the judge to throw out the year-old charges: they say the NIU police department withheld witness statements that could clear their client.  

Meanwhile, NIU police sergeants released a letter Thursday defending the department and fellow officer Kartik Ramakrishnan. He’s accused of intentionally mishandling evidence that would have discredited the NIU student’s rape claims against Rifkin. Sergeant Alan Smith is the police department’s Public Information Officer. He says the NIU sergeants decided to publicly defend Ramakrishnan and the department’s integrity because no one else had stepped up.

Smith also showed the media results from a polygraph test where Ramakrishnan was asked if he had intentionally kept information from investigators. He answered no, and the polygraph examiner determined he was telling the truth. 

STATEMENT FROM NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY (11/9/12)
 
If anyone should respect the law and the judiciary, it should be law enforcement.  Comment related to matters before the Court are not only inappropriate generally but especially when raised by law enforcement officials without authorization and without justification.
 
NIU Spokesman Paul Palian declined to attribute the comment to a specific individual within the university.

Susan is an award-winning reporter/writer at her favorite radio station. She's also WNIJ's Perspectives editor, Under Rocks contributor, and local host of All Things Considered.
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