Eric Lurry's Widow Becomes 16th Joliet City Council Candidate

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet widow of a 37-year-old Black man who died after being inside the back of a Joliet squad car for several minutes while Police Sgt. Doug May was sticking a baton into his mouth trying to retrieve drugs has announced her candidacy for Joliet City Council.

Nicole Lurry's run for elected office would make her the 16th person to pull candidacy papers in the April 6 race.

Three of the at-large seats are up. Only one of the three incumbents, Jan Quillman, has announced she is seeking re-election. Mike Turk, who has been on the council for 33 years, has not decided whether to run. Turk's ally on the council, Don "Duck" Dickinson, has already announced he will not seek a second term in office.

Nicole Lurry attended a news conference Wednesday afternoon outside City Hall to denounce the actions of Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner, who orchestrated the arrest of 27-year veteran Joliet Police Sgt. Javier Esqueda in connection with Esqueda's decision to leak a video of Nicole Lurry's husband dying on Joliet police property to Chicago TV stations this past summer.

Esqueda has told TV viewers that he believed the Joliet Police Department was intentionally trying to cover up police misconduct surrounding Lurry's death. For instance, a few Joliet officers were gathered around Lurry inside the squad car and one of them turned off the squad car's audio system, which Esqueda believes rises to the level of misconduct, tampering with evidence or obstruction of justice.

So far, Esqueda is the only person being charged with a crime, two counts of official misconduct.

"It's not right," Nicole Lurry told journalists Wednesday. "And this is not justice by you arresting the sergeant who actually leaked the video. He did the right thing. Joliet police have gave me and my attorney the run around for months.

"It was devastating for me to watch that video of my husband. Basically taking his last breath in the back of a police car. So when an officer do the right thing and you charge him with a felony? That's not right at all. It's not right.

"The police chief needs to be fired immediately. Doug May needs to be fired immediately," Nicole Lurry remarked before stepping away from the microphones at Wednesday's news conference.

According to the city of Joliet, the following 15 people have also taken out candidate petitions to run for Joliet City Council in April:

• Roger Powell, Ann Street resident and Joliet Housing Authority trustee. Powell has run for City Council several times in the past.
• James Capparelli, Oneida Street, attorney at Castle Law in Joliet and finalist for Joliet city manager back in February.
• Jeremy Brzycki, Strattford Court resident.
• Joe Clement, Tiger Lily Lane resident, recently retired Joliet police officer and current Joliet Park Board member.
• Lindsey Heavener, Apache Drive resident, recently retired Joliet police sergeant.
• Robert Wunderlich, Campbell Street resident, longtime Joliet Junior College trustee and CEO of Wunderlich Builders.
• Janean Jackson, Pinetrails Circle resident.
• Jim Lanham, Doe Court.
• Cesar Guerrero, Francis Street.
• Jan Quillman, four-term incumbent, Western Avenue.
• Marty Shanahan, Expedition Street, ousted in May by Steve Jones as Joliet corporation counsel. Served as interim city manager in 2017 and again from October 2018 until June 2019.
• Hudson Hollister, Buell Avenue. CEO of HData, a technology company.
• Isiah Williams, Parkwood Drive. A Joliet small business owner.
• Glenda Wright-McCullum, Mason Avenue. A Joliet Housing Authority trustee and local clergy member.
• Brian Bettenhausen, Lilac Lane resident.