A Kenosha man, who has worked for 17 years as a Police Officer in Park City, Illinois, will be spending the first three months of the new year in the Kenosha County Jail. That is the sentence handed down from Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Gerald Dougvillo earlier this month. For the second time, 42-year-old Lucian R. Tessmann was convicted of OWI and possession of a firearm while intoxicated. Lucian was arrested on March 28, 2016 by a Wisconsin State Trooper while driving drunk and driving over 100 m.p.h. in Kenosha County. He had a loaded gun in 2016 as well. His employer, Park City, IL kept him on the payroll as a police officer.
In Court on December 1, 2022
(Cell Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
According to the criminal complaint for his latest OWI, Lucian was driving in the Village of Pleasant Prairie on Saturday, March 27, 2021 and was pulled over after speeding – 69 in a 45 zone. It was clear to officers that he was under the influence from the odor of intoxicants and slurred speech. When asked if he would perform field sobriety tests, he asked officers to cut him some slack. That didn’t happen. Telemann’s blood alcohol content was .18, more than twice the legal limit. Like his first OWI, Tessmann was carrying a loaded firearm. Tessmann was arrested, and that is when the bizarre behavior manifested. Tessmann began to act like he couldn’t breath saying that he was a black man being treated like George Floyd. He pretended to hyperventilate and pass out, going from “acting” to normal behavior at the flip of a switch. Tessmann appears to be white. He also called officers “fucking faggots,” “fucking fat-asses,” “douche-bags,” “racists”, “pussies” other slurs, and even threatened to attack one officer. He also threatened suicide. Lucian stated that the Pleasant Prairie Officers didn’t help during the riots of 2020, which is untrue. The officers showed incredible restraint during the entire process. When at the hospital, Tessmann pulled down his mask and coughed at one of the officers saying he wanted to get him sick.
“That paradigm [of police officers getting special treatment] in law enforcement, has shifted. If it was ever prevalent, it’s now. I think cops understand that they’re held to a different standard. That is discussed with them from the time they apply,” said Pleasant Prairie Police Chief Dave Smetana. “We understand that everyone’s going to make mistakes, but we also understand that we’re going to be held accountable for those mistakes.”
Smetana attributed the officers’ immense restraint to training, professionalism, the level of people PPPD is hiring, and the constant engagement with the community.
Park City Police
Unbelievably, Tessmann’s Police Chief, Walter Holderbaum and Commander, Ken Stoves, wrote letters to the judge asking for leniency. The two wanted to continue to employ the officer. That likely isn’t possible now, as he will be banned from driving and possessing a firearm for more than a year after being released from jail. No one at Park City wanted to talk about Tessmann. We emailed the Chief, Commander, Mayor and each and every alderman. Not one wanted to speak about their officer’s conduct. They also won’t say if they’ve fired Tessmann or not.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Gerald Dougvillo didn’t mince words when handing down Tessmann’s sentence. “You sir are an embarrassment!” Judge Dougvillo called the officer’s behavior shameful and handed down a tough sentence. For the second OWI, Tessmann received 40 days in jail with no work-release (Huber). For the possession of a firearm by an intoxicated person, Tessmann received 60 days in jail, one year of probation and eight months in jail , imposed and stayed. 100 days in all, if he behaves. If he messes up, he will receive up to eight more months behind bars. Dougvillo also ordered his driver’s license revoked for 14 months and an ignition interlock for 12 months. He also cannot possess a firearm for his 12 months of probation. He will start his jail sentence on 12/31/2022.
(Cell Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
24 Responses
I guess I find the statement about cops being held to a higher standard by PPPD rich considering this very site reported on a PPPD officer getting a DUI in 2021 and being allowed to keep his job…so…..explain that one.
If you would read the article, the guy arrested worked for Park City PD in Illinois and was arrested by PPPD for speeding, as well as OWI and possession of a gun while intoxicated!!
Hopefully Park City will fire him this time!! What a embarrassment to all police officers! Park City should be embarrassed that they didn’t fire him after his first OWI!
So glad our Kenosha judge didn’t let him off with a slap on the wrist this second time! Good job by PPPD and the Judge!!
Smetana can talk the talk but yes, Officer Kleinke was allowed to keep his job after a DUI and after lying to the police. The DUI was plead down but the result is the same. Interesting how after lying to police, this officer was allowed to keep his job as doesn’t he have to testify in court? How do you get around the fact that he lied to officers but now while testifying he is going to be truthful. Hmmmm. Double standard. Wonder what other officers have been terminated for? I bet lying and being dishonest is a big one. Kevin, I would request from Pppd, the reason other officers had been terminated was compared to DUI being plead down and lying.
That’s how a plea bargain works mr Holmes….. there is no testimony…..
He worked in park city illinois not pppd they have no control over his job
He doesn’t work for Pleasant Prairie. They have no control over his job.
para-dime?
Sad, I hope this guy gets his life in order.
Spelled Paradigm…. Such as a paradigm shift…
Hopefully the brothers in jail know he’s down with the struggle.
Well, we all know who’s shaft he’s pulling in KCDC, don’t we? Sadly he was hoping for Lake County justice where “tips” are given on how to avoid a carjacking. They don’t really arrest and prosecute people ( unless it’s a wrongful conviction) so he’s surprised that he is actually being held somewhat accountable. If he keeps up the BLM hate speech, he might get a free ride to Carthage and a full pardon.
It’s obvious that Barney Fife Jr isn’t smart nor are his superiors in the Fiefdom of Park City.
As a BLM sympathizer, I think DA Graveley missed an opportunity to go soft on a troubled individual who identifies as a man of another race whose rap sheet, apparently, falls short of the threshold of Graveley’s criteria for special consideration.
Not sticking up for him!!! Wondering why people are driving with 4, 5 or 6 drunk driving tickets along with illegal drugs in car but they don’t do jail time?
There is nothing most cops hate more than a bad cop.
Your statement may be true only in the most basic sense. In the overwhelming number of instances, these “good cops”, who hate the “bad cops”, do nothing to rid their profession of these losers. The simply keep their mouths shut and put up with it. They lack the courage to lift a finger to cast these losers out. Peer pressure is strong with them.
Sure would hate to be a property owner in Park City.
Looks like the way the place is going it would be best to sell, quickly, before things really fall off a cliff.
U do know that “park city” was founded due to the “trailer parks” in “park city”……
Assaulting a police officer (at the hospital) as well.
WOW.
Why is it impossible for me to believe I would be back out on the street in under a year, if I did what this clown did?
You’d be out sooner….. if u followed arrests, plea deals, convictions, and sentences…. Study and please stop back….. then you’ll know.
There is a great deal of misunderstanding about OWI in Wisconsin. One misperception is that Wisconsin is tremendously lenient due to the liquor lobby. Actually, Wisconsin combines progressive discipline with treatment. In any case there are sets of sanctions imposed and failure to comply has consequences.
The first offense in Wisconsin is not a crime. Only state that does this. Why? Because we want to get people who are guilty convicted sooner (no automatic jury trial, public defender, case delays due to more pressing criminal cases, etc.) so that they are assessed and referred to treatment. This earlier intervention works: our recidivism rate is lower than any of our neighboring states.
Since 1982 plea bargaining is not allowed except in extraordinary circumstances. That said, if a motorist refused to take the test but pleads guilty to the OWI the judge is allowed to toss out the extra period of license revocation for the refusal but the conviction is still for OWI — no games, no reductions.
In second and subsequent offenses (which are crimes) still NO plea bargaining BUT a defendant who is assessed and completes treatment before sentencing can have the amount of jail time reduced as an incentive.
Conversely, any OWI defendant who blows off assessment and treatment does not get their license back until they comply.
Our neighboring states allow plea bargains. We don’t. Minnesota and Illinois: agree to have an ignition interlock device in your car and you can drive 24/7/365 unlike Wisconsin’s restricted occupational driving permit. On a first offense, Minnesota suspends a license for 90 days. Wisconsin: license revoked for six to nine months and one year if there was a refusal to take the test.
Wisconsin’s “no plea bargaining” makes it easier for prosecutors who don’t have to argue with defense lawyers. The carrot (no criminal record for a first offense) comes with the stick of mandatory assessment and treatment and loss of license and a hopefully prompt adjudication.
“Hopefully” because there is a “hidden scandal.” The state lab is backed up and it takes months for blood to be tested — close to a year and even longer at times in drugged driving cases. The state, even with its budget surplus, has not addressed the problem. Judges wrote the governor and legislative leaders about this and not one had the courtesy to respond.
Locally, Kenosha county taxpayers fund a county lab but not all police departments in the county use it. They should. County taxpayers paid for it.
That’s great. Tell me about the State of Michigan and how they operate with regards to plea bargaining.
Michigan allows plea bargaining in impaired driving cases.
Dumb and Dumber 3 coming out soon. Holderbaum and Stoves.
good!!!! This guy is why cops have bad names, this guy lives in pleasant prairie,
and is a chest puffing “I’m a cop ” what you going to do!!!! … ask the people that live in his subdivision, they tell you what a “ass ” he is !!!!!!!!