Joliet Police Department under investigation by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul
A 12 months in the past the lawyer normal’s workforce started pouring over circumstances and information and decided there was sufficient proof to warrant launching an investigation into whether or not police have proven a sample of illegal and unconstitutional policing.
“This will likely be a civil investigation that may study whether or not there are systemic points inside the division that have an effect on the Joliet police division’s means to police in a secure, efficient and lawful method,” Raoul stated.
The civil investigation is the results of the loss of life of Eric Lurry in police custody in January of 2020.
Final summer season, the mayor and metropolis council requested that the lawyer normal look into the loss of life as a part of a broader evaluation of police insurance policies and procedures
“After reviewing publicly accessible info, and hundreds of paperwork from the Joliet Police Division, we recognized adequate areas of concern to warrant initiating a sample or observe investigation,” Raoul stated.
Eric Lurry’s loss of life is only one of many circumstances now below evaluation for a way the Joliet Police Division handles visitors stops, pedestrian stops, use of drive and allegations of police misconduct.
“They’re very rigorous investigations. They final many months, they contain subpoenas testimony and paperwork, there are listening to which are performed. And so they typically find yourself with some very scathing observations which we noticed within the case of Chicago,” stated Gil Soffer, ABC7 Authorized Analyst.
This afternoon Lurry’s widow Nicole becoming a member of native activists to get a personal briefing on the place the investigation goes. She didn’t wish to touch upon the recommendation of her lawyer.
“Hopefully that is the beginning, this may be the begin to open up greater investigations right here on the Joliet Police Division,” stated neighborhood activist Stringer Harris.
“If this is not only a political scheme, they usually’re not simply blowing smoke, then yea, they’re gonna discover loads of misconduct,” stated Karl Ferrell, chairman of Black Lives Matter Will County.
No officers linked to Lurry’s loss of life had been criminally charged and this investigation is civil in nature, not legal.
Raoul stated his workplace isn’t targeted on any particular person circumstances per se, however on whether or not there are systemic issues that have to be addressed. The consequence might result in a consent decree just like Chicago, however it might not.
“The investigation will take a look at the bigger image in an effort to stop future incidents from occurring, reasonably than attempting to look again and penalize the Joliet Police Division of particular officers,” the lawyer normal stated.
The lawyer normal’s workplace will likely be holding its first public listening to for this investigation in Joliet, searching for public enter.
They’ve additionally arrange a hotline (833-243-1498) and an e mail (enter.joliet@ilag.gov) the place individuals can present enter on their experiences with the Joliet Police Division.
Nicole Lurry, Eric’s widow, launched a press release saying, “The household is happy to study that nearly two years after the loss of life of their beloved, Eric Lurry, efforts are underway to make sure that no different citizen inside the Metropolis of Joliet will hopefully ever need to expertise the tragedy that his household has confronted. We applaud Lawyer Basic Raoul’s announcement immediately launching a full-blown investigation into the practices of the Joliet Police Division focusing partly on the usage of drive by its officers. We’re assured that the Lawyer Basic’s thorough investigation will result in a lot wanted police reform. Although the Lawyer Basic doesn’t have jurisdiction to research the loss of life of Mr. Lurry particularly, it’s clear that the circumstances surrounding Mr. Lurry’s loss of life in custody precipitated sufficient concern to result in this investigation. We’re saddened that Eric Lurry needed to lose his life to ensure that change to return. We urge State’s Lawyer Glasgow to rethink legal prices towards the officers concerned as it’s clear that their actions violated the regulation and led to Mr. Lurry’s premature loss of life.”
The Metropolis of Joliet issued a press release in response to the invesitation saying, “The Metropolis of Joliet is conscious the Illinois Lawyer Basic’s Workplace has opened a civil investigation regarding doable patterns or practices of unconstitutional or illegal policing by the Joliet Police Division. As acknowledged by the Lawyer Basic, this investigation is in response to the letter submitted by the Mayor and Metropolis Council to the Lawyer Basic’s Workplace in June 2020. The Metropolis of Joliet stays dedicated to serving the neighborhood and can proceed to cooperate with the Lawyer Basic’s Workplace through the investigation.”
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