Illinois whistleblower police officer placed on leave

[brooklynite]

Source: The Hill

A police officer in Illinois has reportedly been placed on leave and lost his badge after he told local media about his department’s alleged attempts to conceal footage of the arrest of Eric Lurry, a Black man who died in police custody earlier this year.

According to CBS Chicago, Sgt. Javier Esqueda, an officer for the Joliet Police Department, lost his badge and has since been place on leave pending what Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner called a “criminal and an internal investigation.”

He said the action was taken after it was discovered the officer gained “unauthorized access to a video that was being investigated by an outside agency.”

The move comes a little more than a week after reports of the police department’s alleged cover-up of Lurry’s arrest, which happened in January, began to emerge. At the time, Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk had told CBS Chicago that a whistleblower had come forward about the existence of footage of the arrest.

Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/506401-illinois-whistleblower-police-officer-placed-on-leave

[aggiesal]

1. On further investigation, ODekirk failed to mention that the video was from ...

a police bodycam, that the Joliet Police Department refused to release.

O’Dekirk stated “... that Sgt. Esqueda whistleblower complaint, made it hard to conceal the video so we had no choice but to place the officer on leave.”


Had to put this, because I don’t want Joliet PD to say I slandered them.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. See My Post

The video was about all that wasn't publicly known.
The investigation into the cops who were there was conducted by an outside agency.
The video was still potentially evidence.
We have reasons to be suspicious of police actions. I don't think this is one of them

[marie999]

6. They won't sue you because they would have to show everything they have in open court.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Cover Up?

I grew up in that city.
I still live in the same county.
The information about the arrested guy who died was in local news for a couple weeks.
An investigation by a third party concluded the cops did nothing wrong or illegal and the guy died of an overdose trying to ingest evidence.
The ingested drugs were smack, fentenyl, and coke. Toxicology showed 10x the lethal limits.
Gee, I have a lot of information for a case that was covered up!

[johnthewoodworker]

4. Did you see the video of the police plugging his nose for one minute and 38 seconds? I just watched.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Yes

I see what's going on differently.
And, the guy died of an overdose. 10x the lethal limit, per the county ME.
And, the big paper in the county reported on the video early this year.
It was not released to the public because it was evidence in an investigation.
They didn't try to hide its existence. That's not a cover up. They can't wait forever to release the public property. The investigation is not completed. It would have been released.
Also, one of the cops in it is an undercover guy. Now, everyone knows who he is. IMO, protecting the identity of an undercover operative is reason enough to delay release.
But, there is tremendous public information available about this case.
I'm not defending the cops. Not judging their actions.
But, it's not a cover up.

[TeamPooka]

7. sure reads like you're defending the cops here. not well but sure are defending them

You even claim the tape would be released but you really don't know or can guarantee that, right?
I call bullshit on the cops on this

[ProfessorGAC]

8. I Said I'm Not

You should read more carefully.
There were tons of facts about this case released months ago.
I'm contending (and NOTHING more) that there is/was no coverup.
The exact behavior of the individual cops that were there is not for me to investigate. Or condone, or condemn.
There are IAD and external investigations for that.
I defending nothing other than it doesn't reasonably seem to be a coverup when everything about the case was in the local press, except for the video.
Again, I said I wasn't defending the cops.
You called me a liar.
Proud of yourself?

[beachbumbob]

9. a good lawyer and a massive civil lawsuit award I see happening

[Hip2bSquare]

10. Are police whistleblowers safe?

I heard a story of a young police officer who reported some misconduct he saw from his fellow officers. He was harassed, found a dead rat on the hood of his car, plus when he called in for police backup, no one showed up for him. He was scared for his and his wife's safety, so he quit and moved out of state.

There is a serious problem within the police force where loyalty to each other is more important that enforcing and protecting the law. Very serious work must be done to fix that culture.