Gov. JB Pritzker is seen at a press conference at the Metropolitan Peace Academy in Chicago earlier this month to highlight the work of leaders and volunteers from Community Violence Intervention organizations across the Chicago area. On the left is the mugshot of Kellen McMiller. (Getty Images/Chicago Police Department)
In response to the photo faux-pas, Pritzker's office put out a statement indicating they were "extremely troubled" to learn of McMiller's arrest and his alleged involvement in a fatal robbery.
"The Governor meets hundreds of people in communities every week and is often asked to take photos," a Pritzker spokesperson said in a statement shared with the media. "We were extremely troubled to learn that this individual was arrested for his alleged involvement in this serious crime, and we expect them to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The Governor will keep doing everything in his power to fight crime, keep our neighborhoods safe, and support community violence intervention, which have been proven to work. For example, the Peacekeepers Program has a strong track record reducing violent crime by 41% over the past two years and providing community members with a path towards rehabilitation."
McMiller, who is 35-years-old, was charged with murder, burglary and retail theft alongside six co-defendants for a Sept. 11 crash-and-grab theft at a Louis Vuitton store along Chicago's Miracle Mile. The photo with Pritzker took place six days prior, during an event highlighting the city's "peacekeepers" who work in community violence prevention to help reduce the ongoing violent crime in Chicago. McMiller wore the group’s uniform as he stood next to the governor.
ICE RIPS PRITZKER FOR ‘SIDING WITH CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN’ AFTER OFFICER DRAGGED, SUSPECT SHOT DEAD
President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have traded sharp words as Trump floats deploying National Guard troops to Chicago. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
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Still, the president has threatened to send the National Guard even if Pritzker tries to stop him.
"If Pritzker was smart, he would say, 'Please come in,'" Trump told reporters earlier this week. "If they lose less than six or seven people a week with murder, they're doing a great job in their opinion. Chicago is a death trap, and I'm going to make it just like I did with D.C., just like I'll do with Memphis."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pritzkers-office-scrubs-photo-chicago-peacekeeper-later-charged-deadly-robbery