Illinois restaurant executive used Apple Find My to track his MacBook to the home of ISP Trooper Kevin Bradley, who arrested him for DUI.
Key Takeaways
Bradley was named “Top Cop” three years running for most DUI arrests statewide; 174 of 319 prosecutions since 2023 were dismissed or ended in not guilty verdicts.
Holland tracked his MacBook via Find My to Bradley’s Tinley Park home; video shows Bradley returning it, claiming he took it by accident as a “courtesy.”
Internal investigation confirmed Bradley violated ISP policy but never self-reported; penalty was a one-day suspension.
Bradley earned nearly $250,000 in 2024, nearly triple his base salary, largely through court overtime tied to DUI arrest volume.
Holland was found not guilty at bench trial; he is now suing Bradley and the state, who are invoking sovereign immunity to seek dismissal.
Hacker News Comment Review
Commenters focused on structural incentives: court overtime pay tied directly to arrest volume creates a financial motive to maximize DUI arrests regardless of guilt.
Field sobriety test refusal drew debate; some noted refusal triggers implied consent penalties in many states, making it not a clean escape even for innocent drivers.
The one-day suspension drew sharp consensus criticism as evidence that internal accountability mechanisms are functionally useless without external oversight or union reform.
Notable Comments
@AngryData: argues field sobriety tests are designed to enable arrests on officer discretion, boosting court funding through fines regardless of actual impairment.
@ethagnawl: notes Bradley’s pension may be calculated from the inflated $250k overtime year, compounding the financial damage beyond active duty.
