Officer Nick Crowley's Troubled Joliet Police Career As Cop Comes To An End: Joliet's Outside Law Firm

JOLIET, IL — No member of the Joliet Police Department has been the subject of more discipline-related news stories during the past decade than Joliet Police Officer Nick Crowley. And this week, the upper command staff at the Joliet Police Department has informed Crowley that he has been recommended for termination.

On Monday, Crowley received notice he is being terminated from the Joliet police. He can appeal the decision to the city's police and fire board appointed by Mayor Terry D'Arcy and he can also appeal it to an arbitrator. If he goes the arbitrator route, he does not get paid. If he appeals to the police and fire board, he remains on the payroll until a final decision on his employment status is made.

Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English confirmed for Joliet Patch on Tuesday that the city of Joliet's outside lawyers handled the internal investigation, and the investigation resulted in Crowley being recommended for firing.

Joliet Patch asked English if the firing is related to off-duty or family issues involving Crowley, but English said he does not know, that he was not privy to the details of the investigation.

A source informed Patch that "it has something to do with his family. I do know that." The source indicated that Crowley had been under a direct order at the Joliet Police Department to have no contact with his wife and with her and the kids."

Crowley's Police Career

After high school in Grant Park, Crowley served in the Marine Corps for four years at Camp Pendleton. He obtained his associate's degree in Kankakee and worked as a bartender at the TGI Fridays in Bradley. From there, he became a police officer for Grant Park. After six months, he joined the Bourbonnais Police Department, where he stayed nearly eight years.

Crowley joined the Joliet Police Department in February 2013, the same year as his divorce from his first wife. In 2014, Crowley and fellow Joliet Officer Cassie Socha began dating, and in 2015, he moved into the town home Socha owned. Socha and Crowley got married on April 19, 2019, before a judge in DuPage County.

Here's a look back at some of the major stories that Joliet Patch has covered during the past decade involving Officer Crowley:

March 2023:

Joliet Cop Nick Crowley Faces Another Excessive Force Lawsuit

Officer Nick Crowley was given a five-week unpaid suspension from the Joliet Police Department in February 2023, following an internal affairs investigation into an incident involving several text messages Crowley sent over a six-day period last October, Joliet Patch learned.

The Joliet Police Department responded to Joliet Patch's Freedom of Information Act request surrounding Crowley's recent discipline history. The internal affairs memos indicate that Crowley was notified of a 25-day work suspension as a result of the internal affairs probe led by Sgt. Brian Prochaska.

According to the documents obtained by Patch, Crowley's 25-day work suspension pertained to violations of the Joliet Police Department's code of conduct, for conduct unbecoming of a police officer and for coarse or disrespectful language.

The documents state: "On October 17, 2022, at 4:06 p.m. and continuing through October 21, 2022, at approximately 8:36 p.m., you communicated via text message with a citizen in an unprofessional manner. The complaint has been investigated and, based on available evidence, been found to be SUSTAINED."

Part of the document provided to Patch states: "Members will not make offensive or derogatory comments based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin, either directly or indirectly, to another person" and that "any victim or witness coming into contact with the Joliet Police Department will be treated with fairness, compassion and dignity."

Unrelated, Joliet Patch also learned that Crowley received an eight-hour, or one-day, work suspension for a different incident in 2022. According to that internal affairs case, also handled by Joliet Police Sgt. Brian Prochaska, at 12:46 p.m. Feb. 3, 2022, while at Ruby and Wilcox streets, Crowley conducted a traffic stop of a citizen without probable cause and retaliated against the citizen when he/she complained. In that incident, the internal affairs unit found that Crowley committed an integrity violation, that he had abused his authority.

June 2022: Joliet Cop Nick Crowley Faces Another Excessive Force Lawsuit

A year after the city of Joliet lost a federal lawsuit in Chicago involving Joliet police officer Nick Crowley's use of excessive force during his 2016 arrest of Christopher Simonsen, Crowley faced another excessive force lawsuit.

The lawsuit against Crowley and the city of Joliet was filed by attorney Anthony Tomkiewicz of the downtown Joliet law firm Tedone & Morton. The North Chicago Street law firm is representing Amanda J. Brown as their plaintiff.

Their lawsuit accuses Crowley of excessive use of force as well as false arrest.

"Amanda J. Brown prays for entry of judgment in her favor and against defendant Officer Crowley in a sum in excess of $50,000," the Will County Courthouse lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that Crowley and another unnamed officer used excessive force in physically detaining, arresting and handcuffing Brown and slamming her face to the ground.

March 2022:

Officer Crowley's Excessive Force Costs Joliet's Taxpayers

Joliet Patch produced a lengthy investigative story chronicling how the city of Joliet and Crowley lost a federal lawsuit involving an excessive force case. The 2021 decision by City Manager Jim Capparelli and Joliet's City Council not to reach an out-of-court settlement in the 2018 excessive force lawsuit brought against Crowley ultimately cost Joliet's taxpayers more than $220,000, the Joliet Patch analysis found.

In 2018, Winnetka attorney Ian Barney of Barney & Hourihane filed a civil rights lawsuit against Crowley and Joliet stemming from the arrest of Joliet resident Christopher Simenson on May 28, 2016, in downtown Joliet.

The Itasca law firm defending Crowley and the city of Joliet denied any wrongdoing, and instead of reaching an out-of-court settlement, attorneys Michael Bersani and David Mathues chose to take the city's case to a jury trial, which they ended up losing.

Because the plaintiff won, Joliet was also forced to pay the legal bills for Simenson's lawyer. And those legal bills topped $100,000.

According to the deprivation of civil rights lawsuit, Simenson was sitting on a park bench along the Des Plaines River near the Jefferson Street Bridge shortly after midnight on May 28, 2016. He was waiting for his mother to give him a ride home when several Joliet officers, including Crowley and Officer Luis Ayala approached him, asking if everything was OK.

Simenson learned that someone called 911 and reported that a man said he was going to jump off the Jefferson Street Bridge. Simenson insisted to Joliet police that he never threatened to jump off the Jefferson Street Bridge, and he was just waiting for his mother to give him a ride home.

Simenson told the Joliet officers there must have been a misunderstanding because he told one of the Harrah's Casino security guards, John Torres, that he was going to wait at the Jefferson Street Bridge — not jump off the bridge. Simenson insisted to Joliet police that he never threatened to jump off the Jefferson Street Bridge. While the Joliet police talked with Simenson, a Joliet Fire Department ambulance showed up. Officer Ayala asked Simenson to meet with the paramedics at the back of the ambulance.

"At some point while Plaintiff was at the rear of the ambulance, he was approached by Defendant Crowley," the lawsuit noted. "Defendant Crowley told Plaintiff that Plaintiff was going to the hospital in the ambulance."

Simenson insisted he was fine, he was not suicidal, and there was a misunderstanding. Simenson reiterated that his mother would be arriving shortly to give him a ride home.

That's when Crowley became aggressive, insisting Simenson was going to the hospital, either voluntarily or in handcuffs.

"As Defendant Crowley forcibly placed Plaintiff’s hands behind his back, he slammed Plaintiff face-first onto the rear bed of the ambulance," Simenson's lawyer informed jurors. "As Plaintiff was slammed onto the rear bed of the ambulance, Plaintiff’s face struck the corner of a metal gun box."

Crowley's aggression caused Simenson to split his face open just under his eye, causing heavy bleeding. "At no point prior to being slammed into the ambulance did Plaintiff physically resist Defendant Crowley, or any other Joliet police officer, in any way," Simenson's lawyer argued.

After shoving Simonson's face into the back of the ambulance, the suit alleged, Crowley had Simenson arrested on misdemeanor charges of resisting a peace officer.

January 2023: Revenge Porn Suit: Officer Crowley Doesn't Regret Filming Sex Videos

Joliet Police Officer Cassie Socha's federal lawsuit should warrant a judgment in her favor of about $1.5 million, based on the illegal acts and civil rights violations orchestrated by fellow members of the Joliet Police Department, according to testimony from her husband, fellow Joliet Police Officer Nick Crowley. "Well, when the lawsuit was initially filed, I believe there was, like, a ... hundred thousand dollars or something, like, per count. And when you added them up, it was like close to $1.5 million," Crowley testified.

Joliet's lawyer inquired if Crowley believed his wife's lawsuit could potentially be worth $1.5 million if Socha is successful.

"Yes," Crowley agreed.

During his June 2021 deposition that was just made public as part of the federal lawsuit filings, Crowley testified he and Socha were married and have two little boys.

Crowley Describes The Content Of 'Intimate' Videos

"Let's put the photographs aside for a moment," Joliet's attorney remarked. "I just want to focus on the video. To your knowledge, was this more than one sex video on Cassandra's cell phone?"

"Yes," Crowley replied.

"Did you and Cassandra engage in recording your sexual activities on more than one occasion?"

"Yes," Crowley testified.

"Is that something that you do frequently?"

"No."

"Do you have a rough estimate on the number of sex videos that may have been made on Cassandra's cell phone?"

"I would say no more than three, no more than four," Crowley told the lawyer.

"Because it is the subject of this lawsuit, Officer Crowley, I hope you understand why I have to ask you these questions. It's not something I relish, but I'm doing my job. I hope you understand that."

"I understand," Crowley replied. "I appreciate that."

"Well, of those three or four sex videos, can you describe the content with any particularity of those videos?"

"Yes. We were engaged in oral sex," Crowley testified. "We were engaged in intercourse. I think that's it."

"And how did you record those activities?"

"With her cell phone," Crowley responded.

"Is your face visible on any of those videos?"

"No, they are not. I don't believe so," Crowley testified.

"Is Cassandra's face visible on any of those videos?"

"Yes."

"Do you know, of the three or four videos, how many of those her face is visible on?"

"I believe just one," Crowley told the city's lawyer. "When she is performing oral sex on me."

Crowley Found Not Guilty Of Criminal Charges After Bench Trial Before Judge Kennedy

May 2018: Will County Judge Daniel Kennedy announced that he had found Joliet Police Officer Nick Crowley not guilty of two counts of reckless discharge of a firearm, stemming from an incident in July 2017 at the townhouse of Crowley's girlfriend. During the bench trial, the court heard from Cassandra "Cassie" Socha, Crowley's then-fiancee, who is also a Joliet Police officer. She made it clear during her trial testimony that she was not a victim of any domestic violence inside of her Joliet townhouse.

During the trial, Socha testified that Crowley fired his gun into the ceiling of her townhouse during the wee morning hours of the morning after her rescue pit bull named Gia began growling and tried to bite her.

Before the gun incident, authorities said the two off-duty Joliet Police officers had been drinking at parties, restaurants and bars all throughout the day around New Lenox and Joliet before they drove home together from Anthony's Steakhouse & Pub near the Louis Joliet Mall shortly after 3 a.m.

June 2018: Officer Crowley Gets Disciplined By Joliet PD

City of Joliet officials revealed that Crowley would receive a 30-day unpaid suspension and face charges for his role in the July 2017 fracas inside his girlfriend's townhouse. During that incident, police alleged that an angry Crowley fired his gun into the ceiling of their residence, awaking the sleeping couple who shared the adjacent townhouse. The couple also heard lots of screaming and thought they heard Crowley's girlfriend's head being slammed, according to the trial testimony.

City of Joliet Inspector General Chris Regis told Joliet Patch that the Joliet Police Department's internal affairs unit decided to impose a 30-day unpaid suspension for Crowley. The police administration determined that Crowley committed five violations of police department policies:

1. Failure to perform his duties
2. Conduct unbecoming a police officer
3. Failure to notify of a discharge of a gun
4. Failure to submit a report of a discharge of a gun
5. Displaying a firearm without reasonable cause.

Regarding the 30-day unpaid suspension, "that's the highest penalty the chief can give without having to go to the police and fire commission," Regis explained.

At the time, Regis said the city was eager to put the Crowley case behind it. Crowley was put on indefinite paid leave by chief Brian Benton in July 2017. By the spring of 2018, Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk voiced his concerns about the matter at a Joliet City Council meeting, saying that a number of residents disagreed with the chief's decision to put a police officer on paid leave without having to do anything to earn his paycheck. The city ultimately found Crowley a temporary assignment in the city clerk's office under Christa Desiderio.

"She said he was an exemplary employee," Regis told Joliet Patch.