Mayor O'Dekirk Won't Be Resigning; Critic Comes To His Defense

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk wanted his supporters and critics to know that there is no chance he will be resigning from office in the wake of a late night skirmish on West Jefferson Street after street violence erupted in Joliet on May 31.

This past week, former east side councilman Warren Dorris called for O'Dekirk's ouster, as did a handful of other local clergy. According to news reports, Joliet City Councilwoman Bettye Gavin also asked the mayor to step down as did 2019 council candidate Ernest Crim. Will County Board member Rachel Ventura of Joliet said she did not call for the mayor to resign. She filed a complaint with the FBI and the Illinois Attorney General's Office calling for an impartial investigation and that charges be filed against O'Dekirk related to the May 31 incident.

At Tuesday's 1 p.m. news conference at City Hall, O'Dekirk read from a lengthy prepared statement before taking questions from reporters.

A copy of the mayor's statement can be found at the bottom of this article.

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During the question and answer period, Joliet Patch asked the mayor about the issue that has been on peoples' minds during the past week. Will he resign his elected office?

O'Dekirk said he will not be resigning, and that people will have chance to elect a new mayor in another three years.

"I think the idea of resigning never crossed my mind," O'Dekirk said at Tuesday's news conference. "I will serve out my four-year term."

Four community leaders spoke on the mayor's behalf at Tuesday's City Hall news conference: Cornel Darden Jr., president and CEO of the South Suburban Black Chamber of Commerce, Brad Price, a retired Joliet police officer who is a member of the Joliet Black Police Officers' Association, and Rev. Lonnie Posley, pastor at Joliet's New Canaanland Church.

Posley took to the podium in the council chambers and wanted everyone to know that he is on the mayor's side regarding the recent controversy. Posley also said that all of us seek the truth. Three things can happen regarding the truth, he added. It can get you in trouble, it can get you killed and it can give you freedom.

"At the end of the day," Posley said, "all of us seek freedom in our lives."

Posley said that when he was trying to bring an end to all the violence in Joliet in recent years, it was Mayor O'Dekirk who stood up for him and walked the neighborhoods. "He showed up every time," Posley said.

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One speaker said she had firsthand knowledge of the incident involving O'Dekirk that has generated controversy and division over the past 10 days.

Mady Perez is active in her St. Pat's Area Neighborhood Association, and she has at times been a frequent critic of O'Dekirk during Joliet City Council meetings. But on Tuesday afternoon, Perez came to the mayor's defense.

Perez said she was present in the area where street violence was occurring on May 31, after the Joliet Police Department ended the Black Lives Matter rally at Jefferson and Larkin because they said some people were becoming violent, throwing rocks and bottles at police and jumping on cars.

At Tuesday's news conference, Perez said that Joliet's mayor acted appropriately in the confrontation that led to the arrests of two young African-American men.

"I hope and I pray that this situation will bring us all together to have those tough discussions," Perez told reporters. "Because, what I saw Sunday night was horrific. I've never, in my 20 years of being a resident of Joliet observed such aggression, such disrespect. I felt hopeless seeing this happen in front of me.

"Young people hanging out of their vehicles, screaming profanity, throwing water bottles, canned things, it was horrible. I've never seen J.P.D. be so violently attacked and the mayor be assaulted and then physically attacked, to the point where he was pushed to the ground, falling onto another citizen. It should never happen, it was horrible, and I think we as a community and all of our community activists need to come together in unity, with empathy, with an understanding, and have these conversations with our youth because it was not OK."

A total of 30 people, mostly Joliet area residents, were arrested that night in connection with looting, assault, criminal damage to property and other related offenses.

At least 10 Joliet businesses sustained significant damage, and the worst damage happened at Valle's Produce. The Mexican grocery store at 704 W. Jefferson St. was set on fire by people suspected of being involved with the late night street violence, authorities have said.

Perez also took a moment to express her deepest condolences to the family of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died last month after a white police officer stood on his neck for almost nine minutes.

"There's no doubt that we do need judicial reform, that we do need to deal with the police brutality from certain police," Perez said Tuesday. "This does not represent all of our policemen and women that serve and protect our lives daily. With that said, I pray for unity. I pray that we can all come together, and I just feel like the mayor is not getting a fair shake with the way he's been verbally attacked.

"I know, myself, I've been verbally attacked for speaking up on what I saw that day, and it's not fair. I have a lot of community activist people that I've considered dear friends of mine come at me for speaking up on what I observed. And you know ... I've said it before and I'll say it again, yes, I've bumped heads with Mayor O'Dekirk, but I respect him.

"I will say that him being out there Sunday, I found a greater respect for him. It showed he really cares about our community. Seeing him to take that kneel ... with the people at White Castle, that just sent a big message to me. And I think we need to put our personal differences aside, and we need to come together as one. Thank you."

Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow issued a news release last week indicating the Illinois State Police are taking over the investigation surrounding the scuffle involving O'Dekirk and the two young men later arrested by several nearby Joliet police officers.

At Tuesday's news conference, O'Dekirk told reporters he welcomes the results of the Illinois State Police probe.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Joliet Black Police Officer Association Supports O'Dekirk

Jail Mayor O'Dekirk: County Board Member Ventura

Mayor O'Dekirk Kneels At Black Lives Matter Rally

Joliet Police Arrest 30 After Night Of Street Violence, Looting