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Joint Letter On Springfield Police Officer
Joint Letter On Springfield Police Officer
SPRINGFIELD, III. – As members of the Illinois General Assembly, we come from several different
caucuses (Asian-American, Black, Jewish, Latino, Progressive, and Queer) to demand that the
Springfield Police Department fully address the incredibly disturbing allegations of hate activity by an
officer in their employ. We further urge all of our law enforcement partners to identify and eliminate the
presence of officers in your ranks who operate without respect for our constitution, the human dignity of
our communities, or basic human decency.
We learned this week via an investigation by Anonymous that Officer Aaron P. Nichols appears to be the
person behind several online accounts (including one on Ken Griffin funded Gab) associated with
extreme right wing agendas including racism, homophobia, and antisemitism. A post published 4/1/2022
provides extensive details of the investigative methodology and links to Officer Nichols’ online accounts
and disturbing posts. We have subsequently learned that the Springfield Police Department has
suspended Officer Nichols and are thankful for their swift action. We await the results of a truly
independent investigation.
A few examples of online traffic from accounts allegedly tracing back to Officer Nichols include:
“I despise the government and have for nearly 3 decades. The best place I can possibly be inside the
beast.”
“If I found a genie and I had one wish? The Jews would be a distant memory in 72 hours.”
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“N**’s ruin everything. Even if it’s Whites doing the stealing, they’re likely selling the meat to blaq run
restaurants or trading it to n**’s for dope. Real talk.”
“I frequently deal with a basketball American who is related to a pro basketball American. Dude parks a
$200,000 car in the drive of a $60,000 house. N**’s are so fucking dumb.”
“Being forced to live with n**’s is a human right violation. Where’s Merrick Garland when he could
actually be useful?”
(With a pic of Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson) “Here’s our next Sheeboon Supreme
Court Justice. I’m sure she’ll be completely impartial.”
“Homosexuality is rampant in the blaq community because the majority didn’t have dads around to
protect them.”
“I’m a n** harm reduction specialist and we have minimum manning requirements. Someone has to clean
these streets.”
“I dumped a homeless women’s (sic) cart out in the drive up of a @tacobell because she repeatedly
refused to unload it herself. I then took the cart back to the @babiesrus she appropriated it from. I’m
doing the Lord’s work out here”
“I’m not willingly giving up my way of life. I’ll die in a pile of brass.”
“When you decide you’re not afraid of death you’re finally free”
His social media handles have changed over time. While this investigation initially focused on
@NogAirForce, he also allegedly wrote on an explicitly racist site known as Gab under the handle
@_14words, which refers to the white supremacist slogan “we must secure the existence of our people
and a future for White children,” quoting American neo-Nazi David Lane. The published results of their
investigation provide significant evidence of the validity of the claims.
It would be disturbing enough to know someone with these views was living in your community. But to
learn that such a person is exercising authority over the very people he declares his hatred for is
terrifying. We need a thorough and independent investigation on Officer Nichols and anyone else
espousing these beliefs. We need transparency on any misconduct and allegations. After such
investigation anyone holding these beliefs must be immediately removed from their positions of authority
before someone is hurt.
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