State’s attorney wants probe of N. Illinois police

SYCAMORE -- DeKalb County State’s Attorney Clay Campbell is asking Illinois State Police to investigate Northern Illinois University’s police department and Chief Donald Grady for the way it allegedly handled witness interviews in a sexual assault case.

Campbell’s request Monday follows a judge’s assertion on Friday that university police withheld information in the case.

The attorney for former Officer Andrew Rifkin asserts NIU police didn’t provide the state’s attorney with two witness statements contending the alleged 2011 encounter between Rifkin, who has pleaded not guilty, and the victim was consensual.

Campbell is up for re-election Tuesday. His opponent, Democrat Richard Schmack, says both the state’s attorney’s office and the NIU police department should be investigated.

A telephone call to a NIU police spokesman seeking comment was not immediately returned Monday.