Sgt. Javier Esqueda: Joliet Police Target For Discipline?

JOLIET, IL — A longtime Joliet Police Department sergeant who questions whether fellow supervisors engaged in police corruption surrounding the Jan. 29 in-custody death of Eric Lurry now finds himself the recipient of multiple disciplinary cases, Joliet Patch has learned.

On July 6, Sgt. Javier "Butch" Esqueda received a memo from Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner notifying him that he was being removed from his regular duties as a field training officer for new recruits. Instead, Esqueda was reassigned to administrative desk duty for an undetermined period.

"You shall exercise no powers including off-duty police details with respect to your position as a police officer nor shall you have, in your possession, any identification indicating that you are a Joliet police officer or carry a firearm," the memo from Roechner states.

"You are ordered to immediately relinquish your take home police vehicle, police identification cards, badge and firearm."

Besides being stripped of his police powers, Sgt. Esqueda is the subject of two other disciplinary measures lodged against him by members of Roechner's upper administration, Joliet Patch learned as the result of a Freedom of Information Act request.

According to city records, Esqueda learned on July 7 that he was receiving a written reprimand for violating the Joliet Police Department's social networking/social media personal use policy.

"The complaint alleges you made posts on your Facebook account that were in violation of Department policy," the July 7 memo states. "You were afforded the opportunity to respond to the allegations. After reviewing evidence presented at this hearing, I found the allegations to be sustained for the second post you made on social media."

Sgt. Esqueda's other issue of recent discipline, a one-day unpaid suspension from work, stems from the July 2019 arrest of Konika Morrow by Joliet Police Officer Adam Stapleton.

Stapleton's tackling of Konika Morrow sparked outrage in Joliet's Black community. After tackling the woman, Stapleton arrested Morrow on charges of obstruction of justice. Morrow, whose case has yet to go to trial, has told Joliet Patch that Stapleton flew up out of nowhere in his patrol car "and he jumped out of the car. I'm tackled out of nowhere by this officer after he pulls up. I just felt being taken off my feet. My face hit the ground. He flings me over and I was like, 'Why the hell is this happening?'"

When Morrow complained about her injuries and asked to go to the hospital, Morrow said that one of Stapleton's supervisors, whom she identified as Sgt. Esqueda, responded to Stapleton by using a baby-sounding voice, "Well, get the baby an ambulance."

On July 7, almost a year later, Esqueda received a notice from the upper police administration revealing that Esqueda was being suspended for one workday without pay for his role in the incident.

"The complaint alleges that on July 9, 2019, you failed to effectively supervise an incident and officers on scene while in the 300 block of South Ottawa Street. You were afforded the opportunity to respond to the allegations. After reviewing evidence presented at this hearing, I found the allegations to be sustained," Chief Roechner stated.

Esqueda was found to have violated a Joliet police general order for code of conduct. The code indicates that "All command supervisory members shall be responsible for the effect of operations of all members under them and the efficient and proper completion of all duties assigned to them."

This summer, Esqueda obtained copies of the Joliet police videotapes surrounding Lurry's January in-custody death and copies of those videos were aired by CBS Channel 2 in Chicago. The video showed Joliet Police Sgt. Doug May holding Lurry's nose shut for almost two minutes. The Joliet police administration maintains that Lurry died as the result of a drug overdose.

“In my opinion, anybody would suffocate in that situation,” Esqueda told CBS Chicago last month.

Esqueda also told CBS Chicago that unidentified Joliet police officers appeared to have tampered with evidence during Lurry's in-custody overdose. Esqueda says that someone intentionally turned off the squad car's in-camera audio system moments after Sgt. May approached the backseat.

The Joliet squad car's in-camera audio system resumes functioning several minutes later, after Lurry is loaded into a Joliet Fire Department ambulance that is headed toward AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center. The squad car was being at the time by Officer Jose Tellez and new recruit Andrew McCue.

Meanwhile, August marks the start of Esqueda's second month relegated to administrative desk duty inside the Joliet Police Station. It remains to be seen whether Roechner's administration disciplines him for his role in furnishing copies of the in-camera police videos showing Eric Lurry's last moments alive to Chicago's television stations.

On July 22, Joliet Patch published an exclusive story revealing that the makers of the movies Star Wars, Lucasfilm, mailed a several Star Wars autographs and action figures to Sgt. Esqueda, along with a one-page letter.

"Hello Javier, we were deeply saddened to learn about the tragic death of Eric Lurry and the resulting actions taken against you for uncovering the unspeakable circumstances that led to his death. Once we learned that you are also a member of the 501st Legion — and hence an extended member of the Lucasfilm family —we felt compelled to reach out to offer our unwavering support to you and your own family."