IL Guv's Pilot Charged with Felony

[mikea]

April 28, 2006 (BELLEVILLE, Ill.) - A pilot with the state department of transportation whose duties include flying the governor around is facing felony charges and the potential loss of his pilots license.

Thirty-four-year-old Brian Keen has been charged with criminal trespass to a residence and two misdemeanor battery charges.

Authorities say he broke into a female acquaintance's home earlier this week and got into a fight.

He could lose his pilot's license if he is convicted of a felony. He also faces up to three years in prison.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=4124197

BELLEVILLE - Deputies arrested U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello's son-in-law, who is also one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pilots, after police said he entered a female acquaintance's home and got into a fight with two people there.

...
Keen was hired Oct. 16, 2003, as a pilot for the Illinois Department of Transportation with duties that include flying Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Keen, a certified flight instructor, earned the highest beginning state pay for pilots -- $69,060 a year. Keen also flies tankers the Illinois National Guard.

As part of his state job duties, Keen flies state officials, as well as aerial surveying and transporting state employees, including Department of Natural Resources personnel who count geese and deer.

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/breaking_news/14444883.htm

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[poadeleted3]

That was a stupid thing to do.

As an aside... I'd love to have a job like that. $70K yr would suit Cathy and I just fine.

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

What I wouldnt do to get a job in photogrammerty at NCDOT. That way I could fly a lot and take pictures or roads. Those guys get lots of black eyes from looking out the scopes when it is bumpy.

 

[jesse]

There are two sides to every story.

I could see this happening to any one of us.

If I knew my G/F was cheating on me, I'd probably go over there. If there were two guys there..maybe some alcohol involved..who knows what would happen.

Let's not be too quick to judge this guy.

 

[mikea]

There are two sides to every story.

I could see this happening to any one of us.

If I knew my G/F was cheating on me, I'd probably go over there. If there were two guys there..maybe some alcohol involved..who knows what would happen.

Let's not be too quick to judge this guy.

He was also charged with domestic battery on his ex-wife in 2002. Those charges were dismissed.

 

[jesse]

He was also charged with domestic battery on his ex-wife in 2002. Those charges were dismissed.

Oh well. I gave him a chance at least.

 

[TMetzinger]

There are two sides to every story.

I could see this happening to any one of us.

If I knew my G/F was cheating on me, I'd probably go over there. If there were two guys there..maybe some alcohol involved..who knows what would happen.

Let's not be too quick to judge this guy.

If you're dumb enough to get involved with alcohol while you're angry, and then further dumb enough to think that there's anything useful you can do except get away from your cheating girlfriend as quick as you can with as much of your stuff as you can, then you're too dumb to be flying in the same skies with me.

I do have some sympathy for people caught up in domestic situations where the law requires the cops to arrest SOMEBODY when they get called out. I know of two cases personally where a person with an ax to grind called the cops on someone else, claiming they were beating up on their spouse. The cops had no choice but to arrest the person, even though both parties said that there was no violence, and no evidence of it. While the investigation was underway, the person who was arrested could not do his job as a law enforcer because he wasn't legally permitted to have possession of a firearm.

On the other hand I've seen too many cases where one spouse beats up on the other and the beaten party refuses to cooperate. While my head says "if you're stupid enough to hang around for more you deserve it", my heart has some sympathy for the folks who wrote the law to try and help those too dumb to help themselves.

 

[Brian Austin]

If you're dumb enough to get involved with alcohol while you're angry, and then further dumb enough to think that there's anything useful you can do except get away from your cheating girlfriend as quick as you can with as much of your stuff as you can, then you're too dumb to be flying in the same skies with me.

Rather blunt but hard to argue with. Your cheating girlfriend did it for a reason and it didn't involve you. In my version of reality, there is no sense fighting for a losing cause like that. Ditch her and move on.

 

[Earthroamer]

If you're dumb enough to get involved with alcohol while you're angry, and then further dumb enough to think that there's anything useful you can do except get away from your cheating girlfriend as quick as you can with as much of your stuff as you can, then you're too dumb to be flying in the same skies with me.

Never say Never. I do agree with your ideas here, however harsh they are and possibly attacking depending whom they were intended for. Never say Never.

 

[TMetzinger]

Nah, I've been there (had a girlfriend cheat on me), and while I was angry and hurt - it just never made sense to do anything other than say goodbye.

As for alcohol, I buried too many of my fellow students in high school to ever drink and drive, and I spent too much time cleaning up after drunk drivers/brawlers/suiciders/etc as a paramedic later in life to get drunk period.

No attack was meant in the "you're" statement at any previous poster. But if anyone reads this and then DOES behave stupidly, consider yourself berated in advance!

Finally, getting mad at the other person (not your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend) makes no sense - they don't owe you anything.

 

[jesse]

I think you have misunderstood what I said.

I was referring to *them* being drunk. I've never touched alcohol. But I've had to deal with people who have. All I am saying is if you knock on your girlfriends door and there are two guys with her who are intoxicated. It probably isn't going to be pretty. You have the angry drunk and you have the happy drunk. You better hope they are happy, because if they are an angry drunk you won't even have a chance to walk away.

For some reason...there are guy's who will go cheat on you with your girlfriend and then they are MAD at YOU. It happens.

It's very easy to sit and talk about someone else, all i was saying, is we know absolutely NOTHING about what happend.. Other then what the media said. Now if you have ever first hand witnessed an event and then read the newspaper article about it. You know damn well how backwards they have everything.

 

[TMetzinger]

If "they" were drunk, and "he" wasn't drunk - then why was "he" charged? Criminal trespass doesn't apply if you're asked/told to leave and you leave.