Joliet Detective's Mistress 'Feared For Her Life,' Police Told

JOLIET, IL — The longtime mistress of Joliet Police Detective Dave Jackson fears for her safety and has told her adult son that if something ever happens to her, her death may be staged to appear as a suicide, according to police reports obtained by Joliet Patch. In March, Jackson was charged by the State's Attorney's Office with two counts of domestic battery.

As a result of his domestic violence arrest, the long-time Joliet Police officer was forced to surrender all his guns, including a City of Joliet-issued rifle, police reports show. This month, Joliet Patch obtained all the police reports surrounding Jackson's arrest from the Crest Hill Police Department via a Freedom of Information Act request.

Jackson, 47, has been with the Joliet Police Department for more than 20 years. Jackson was praised by the police department for having a critical role in making the arrest of Washington Junior High teacher Michael Kazecki after the Aug. 7 death of the teacher's 38-year-old wife, Becky.

March's Crest Hill Police reports indicate that Jackson left his mistress bruised and bloodied at her house in Crest Hill after the two of them had several mixed drinks at a bar, where they were playing the video gambling machines.

The Crest Hill woman "had injuries on her face and body consistent with her statement of being slammed to the ground by David Jackson," Crest Hill Police reports state. "While speaking with her, I observed she had an apparent cut on the top of her forehead towards the middle of her head. The injury had apparent dry blood on it and was swollen.

"The lower part of her lip also appeared to be swollen and had apparent blood that was dry around the injury. The shirt she was wearing had some apparent blood spatter on it around the left chest area ... On her elbows and arms, I also observed some apparent bruising as well. These injuries were consistent with someone who was in a physical altercation."

The woman told Crest Hill Police "she was scared David would retaliate against her and was not sure what to do. She stated she and him have been dating for about 15 years ... She was concerned that he had a key to her house. She said he was still married," police reports state.

Blood, broken glass found in house

Crest Hill Officer Henry Tough's report indicates he was notified of the domestic violence call around 11:15 p.m. that Saturday, March 9. The woman gave his department permission to enter the home. Upon his arrival, Tough also spoke with her grown son.

"I observed several small red stains that appeared to be blood smears on the wall going up the stairs," Tough's report shows. "There was broken clear glass on the kitchen floor between the table and the step to the foyer. There was also broken brown glass near the kitchen table. While taking photos, I discovered several small red stains that appeared to be blood droplets on the wall going up to the stairs. There was also a red stain that appeared to be blood on a cardboard box near the refrigerator in (the) kitchen, which I photographed."

Woman's son speaks to Crest Hill PD

The son of the Crest Hill woman later told police how he had missed two cellphone calls made by his mother on the night she says Jackson attacked her, one from 8:28 p.m. and another at 8:30 p.m., reports show.

The son called his mother back at 9 p.m. "and she stated to him, 'You know if anything ever happens to me, that I didn't do it to myself.' He asked her what was going on and she advised that she had been in a physical altercation with David. He advised that he went to her house. Upon arrival, she told him that David chased her through the kitchen, around the table, and had used a take down move to throw her to the ground near the refrigerator. She then used a pot or glass measuring cup to defend herself," police reports reflect.

The woman's son also told Crest Hill Police that his mother "had blood in her hair, a mark on her forehead and bruises on her elbows. She was not bleeding from the mark on her forehead, so he was unsure where the blood had come from that was in her hair," the documents state.

Woman fears Jackson will kill her: reports

The woman's son told Crest Hill Police that his mother "was afraid of David and feared for her life tonight. I asked him further about (her) stating 'you know if something ever happens to me, I didn't do it to myself' and what he thought it meant," Crest Hill Police reports state. "He advised he interpreted that statement meaning that David would stage (her) death as a suicide. He advised that she told him that when David was coming after her, that she thought he was going to pull his weapon on her. (The son) advised that (she) was going to come and stay with him for the night."

Woman's son has known Jackson 15 years

"(The son) advised that David's last name was Jackson," police reports show. "He has known him for about 15 years. He advised that he is a police officer for Joliet PD. His mother is his 'mistress' and has been for the last 15 years. He advised that David does not live with (his mother) but he has stayed the night there in the past. He advised that David and (his mother) have been in physical altercations in the past. He knows of at least two-three times where David has put his hands on (his mother) but that this is the first time he has left marks," the reports outline.

"He advised that (his mother) will hide things from (her son) and protect David because he is a police officer."

On the night of the domestic violence call, Crest Hill Police were called to the house on Root Street at 9:23 p.m. The woman's son made the call to the police.

"The caller ... advised his mother was bleeding at her residence from being beaten up by her boyfriend. (Her son) advised the boyfriend was a Joliet Police officer by the name of Dave Jackson and he left the residence approximately 30 minutes ago," police reports state.

4-5 mixed drinks

The woman told police that prior to the incident Jackson picked her up and they arrived around 6 p.m. at a bar on McDonough Street.

She "advised they each had four-five mixed drinks at the bar and were playing the gambling machines," police reports state. "She advised they each had a set amount of money to play the machines with and when that amount was exhausted they left the bar. (She) advised while en route back to her residence there was a verbal argument about spending money."

She told Crest Hill Police that Jackson became angry at her when she went upstairs to get another bank card in hopes of going out to another bar later that night. She "stated that she was 'body slammed' and David was trying to get her money and bank card from her pocket. The injuries that I observed ... were said to have happened when she (was) slammed to the ground," Crest Hill Police reports show.

She "advised that she has been in a relationship with David for approximately 15 years and they have had issues like this in the past. (She) stated it never got to this extent and she advised that tonight she was in fear for her life due to David's actions."

Jackson gives different story

Jackson's interview with Crest Hill Police Sgt. Jason Opiola gives a different version of events.

The sergeant's report indicates "I spoke with David on the phone, who asked if he was going to be arrested if he came in. I told him I wanted to speak with him in reference to an incident that occurred in our town and asked if he would come in. He said he did not want to come in if he was going to be arrested ... he said he and (the woman) were at (a bar) on McDonough Street. He said (she) had too much to drink and that she fell all the time. She wanted to get more money to gamble and he did not want her to. They went back to her house and he felt she was acting like she was having a bad reaction to the alcohol and pills she was taking.

"He said she lost around $240 on video poker and recently lost her job so he did not want her (to) spend more money," the Crest Hill Police officer wrote.

After she went upstairs to her bedroom to retrieve more cash and a debit bank card, Jackson told Crest Hill Police, "he reached into her pocket to take the bank card, but he was unsuccessful and she pushed him back, then fell forward, striking her head on the ground.

"David said this caused her head to bleed. David said he never struck her and just moved out of the way. He said this took place in her kitchen."

The Crest Hill Police officer stated that he later asked Jackson "if she hit him and he said she struck him in the back of the head with a dog dish ... He said he had no injuries to the back of the head."

The reports indicate Jackson was reluctant to go to the Crest Hill Police Station to let them photograph his alleged injuries because he feared they were attempting to arrest him.

"David then said he heard a rumor that 'I body-slammed her.' I asked where he heard that from and he would not answer. He also stated, 'I'm not that guy with a screw loose.' He said again that she fell down after she became entangled in her coat. He said she was bleeding from the head from the fall. He said he did not remember exactly where on her head her injury was, but it was from when she fell forward."

The Crest Hill officer stated in his report that he asked Jackson where he was at the time of their late night phone conversation, but the Joliet Police Detective would not answer that question, police reports show.

Eventually, Crest Hill's Police officers conferred with their chief, Ed Clark, and he agreed with their assessment that probable cause existed "to arrest David based on the injuries and the statements made by (the woman) and her son," reports state.