'Dangerous Foot Pursuits' By Joliet Police Often Not Justified: AG
JOLIET — Things were so bad at the Joliet Police Department involving police officer foot pursuits that Police Chief Bill Evans received a formal letter from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office more than a year and a half ago, notifying the chief of “serious systemic issues that raise immediate concern.”
In that letter, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with assistant attorneys general Elizabeth Jordan and Hannah Jurowicz of the Special Litigation Bureau in Chicago, explained that that Joliet police needed to take action immediately address its foot pursuit problems.
“In our review, we observed JPD members engage in foot pursuits that were unreasonably risky to themselves and to others,” the letter advised. “In several pursuits we reviewed, officers pulled their guns during the pursuit and continued running with guns drawn, and in some cases pointed the gun while running. This practice presents an unreasonable risk of death or serious injury.”
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The letter from April 28, 2023, is contained within Thursday’s 158-page Attorney General’s report that found the Joliet Police Department has a pattern of using excessive force against the community and that Joliet police discriminate against Black people and perhaps Latino citizens, based on the Attorney General’s five-and-seven year data reviews of Joliet police arrests, traffic stops, vehicle searches and use of force incidents.
“In many cases, the justification for an officer’s foot pursuit did not outweigh the risks it created,” the 2023 letter alerted Joliet’s upper police command staff. “To the contrary, JPD officers engage in foot pursuits that are both dangerous and unjustified.”
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“Although our investigation is not yet complete, we have identified a pattern of JPD officers engaging in dangerous foot pursuits that create an unreasonable risk to officer and community safety far beyond that created by the behavior or suspected offense precipitating the chase. The Department urgently needs to correct its foot pursuit practices,” the AG’s lawyers implored Chief Evans more than a year and a half ago. “Because of the inherent danger posed by foot pursuits, officers need clear guidance on when to engage in foot pursuits, when not to, and what to do to best protect the public and themselves during and after a foot pursuit.”
Forty years ago, in 1984, Joliet police officer Martin “Marty” Murrin lost his life during a questionable and ill-advised foot pursuit in the Forest Park area of Joliet’s east side.
Street gang member Manuel Salazar, who had an outstanding arrest warrant, ran from a car and Murrin chased after him. Salazar fatally shot the officer five times with Murrin’s own gun. After killing the Joliet cop, Salazar made it to Mexico, where he was later captured.
As of April 2023, Joliet did not even have a written policy regarding foot pursuits.
“JPD officers do not currently have this guidance because JPD lacks a foot pursuit policy,” the AG’s Office declared in its 2023 letter. “It needs one—both to promote public safety and to protect the safety of officers … Without such a policy, officers lack guidance on acceptable or prohibited behaviors and are not held accountable for dangerous or reckless conduct.
“In the cases that we reviewed, we observed repeated failures of training, tactical errors, a lack of meaningful supervision, and the absence of critical reviews necessary for officer support and accountability.”
Here are some of the examples cited by the attorney generals in their April 2023 letter demanding Joliet police take immediate action and implement a foot pursuit policy:
Joliet Finalizes Foot Pursuit Policy In November 2023
In closing, the Office of Attorney General asked Joliet’s chief to respond by May 12, 2023, “with a timeline for addressing this problem.” According to the subsequent documents reviewed by Joliet Patch, the Attorney General issued Joliet police a technical assistance letter in May 2023 and Joliet agreed to expedite its efforts to draft and implement a foot pursuit policy and training.
“Our office and JPD engaged in a series of negotiations regarding the content of the foot pursuit policy, which JPD ultimately finalized and implemented in November 2023. Although reliable data and experience under the new policy will be needed to assess its effectiveness, we commend JPD for taking concrete steps to address our concern,” Raoul and his lawyers indicated.
Related Patch coverage of Unlawful Policing Practices In Joliet:
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