Sgt. Cardwell: Mayor Trying To Make JPD His Political Playground

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Police Sgt. Patrick Cardwell became so fed up with Mayor Bob O'Dekirk's interview with WJOL Morning Show Host Scott Slocum on Tuesday morning that the president of the Joliet Police Supervisors Association called the radio station to make a rebuttal. The issue concerns the latest City Hall controversy: the mayor accusing Joliet Police Sgt. Lindsey Heavener of being intoxicated while on duty working at the Sept. 14 Fiesta en La Calle in downtown Joliet.

According to Cardwell's interview with WJOL, O'Dekirk "made some observation of Heavener" around 4 or 4:30 p.m. and the mayor demanded Chief Al Roechner investigate Heavener. Roechner "did an on-the-scene investigation determining there was not anything to move forward on and that wasn't good enough for O'Dekirk," Cardwell told the radio station.

Then later on, Roechner had to further investigate "because of more demands from the mayor," Cardwell told WJOL. "So what happens? They go to the hospital. And what happens there is that Heavener, who does not have to, under his police rights, he provides both blood and urine. He could have done a breath-opt test, but he wanted blood and urine because of the fact he was confident ... it was a completely false attack on him."

At one point, Sgt. Cardwell told WJOL listeners that "I think Bob (O'Dekirk) is trying to make the Joliet Police Department his political playground. A lot of us are done with it, we're done (with) that narrative put on by the mayor."

To hear Mayor O'Dekirk's full radio interview with Scott Slocum as well as Sgt. Cardwell's follow-up rebuttal interview, visit AM-1340 WJOL here.