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Whistleblower Charged with Misconduct in Lurry Case


(Photo via Kendall County Sheriff's Office)


Sgt. Javier Esqueda of the Joliet Police Department was charged with misconduct after leaking a videotape of Eric Lurry to Chicago TV stations. Now, Esqueda’s lawyer says that although Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner organized criminal charges against one of his own, good things will happen to his client in the end.

 

Esqueda’s Lawyer, Jeff Tomczak, told the Joliet Patch “What is most sad about this is that this is a clear message from Chief Roechner to the frontline officers that should they see actions they believe are misconduct by fellow officers, they must keep their mouths shut and stay quiet or they will be charged with a felony…I also have no doubt in my mind that these charges were shopped around and Will County prosecutors declined, as they should, so they went shopping in Kendall County and were able to find a prosecutor to file these bad charges.”

 

Tomczak predicts that he and Esqueda, his client, will win their case. If they win their case, Esqueda would get a complete vindication in the criminal justice system at the Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville and winning a large compensation (settlement?) from Joliet and Illinois taxpayers as a result of a future federal lawsuit that Esqueda is almost guaranteed to file against the City of Joliet and the Joliet Police Department of Chief Roechner. 

 

Sgt. Esqueda has remained consistent in his claim that he discovered corruption inside the Joliet Police Department back in January of 2020 in connection with the death of Eric Lurry, who died while in police custody. Now, Police Chief Al Roechner has made it clear that Esqueda will be facing possible discipline regarding his whistleblowing via leaked videotape information about Lurry’s death. 

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