Metro East Sun

The police officer in the Martin v. Board of Trustees of the Police Pension Fund of the Village of Shiloh case is now working as a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent in addition to receiving a settlement and monthly line-of-duty disability payments, according to a posting by Eugene Keefe of the Keefe, Campbell, Biery and Associates law firm.

Under Illinois law, Martin can work and still receive payments so long as he is not working as a police officer, Keefe wrote in the posting. Keefe contends that Martin should not receive line-of-duty disability because he was hit by a car, not disabled during a line-of-duty accident. In Illinois, police officers and firefighters do not need to prove they are “catastrophically disabled” in order to receive payments and “double-dip," earning a paycheck and disability.

Keefe wrote that he is frustrated by the impression that all police officers risk their lives day in and day out when he has seen many who had sedentary, paper-pusher jobs. Since, by title, they are police officers, it is possible they, too, could receive line-of-duty disability payments if they are involved in a workplace accident.

Eugene Keefe

Illinois state politics are very heavily dependent on the strength and funding of the police and fire unions throughout the state. Keefe believes there is little chance the law will ever change without federal lawmakers forcing Illinois to change and follow the Americans with Disabilities Act more closely.