Famed Northern Illinois Police Chief May Be Forced Out

A student newspaper is sitting in the national spotlight after calling for a praised police chief's resignation.

The Northern Star, the Monday-through-Friday campus newspaper at Northern Illinois University, published a scathing editorial demanding the removal of Donald Grady, the head of the university's Department of Public Safety. The editorial accused Grady of berating Justin Weaver, Northern Star's editor in chief, and said Grady's relations with area enforcement agencies had soured.

Because of the accusations, the university created a four-person panel to investigate the police chief. Grady was placed on paid leave on October 9, and the school recently extended his leave. The panel expects to make a decision regarding Grady's future by Thanksgiving.

Grady gained national recognition in February 2008 when he was seen sprinting to the scene of a campus shooting at Northern Illinois. Though Grady and his officers didn't arrive in time to stop the shooter, they did receive praise for their bravery during the incident, the Associated Press reports.

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