Yorkville Sergeant Fired After Misconduct Investigation

YORKVILLE, IL — A Yorkville police sergeant who was one of three officers involved in a 2017 arrest of an elderly woman and her son that resulted in a misconduct investigation has been fired. Originally reported as a littering incident, the September 2017 arrests culminated with the son, 44, being shocked with a Taser. Both the mother and son have been found not guilty of charges related to the incident.

Yorkville Police Chief Rich Hart told WSPY that Sgt. Sarah Klingel, wife of Deputy Chief Terry Klingel, was fired after an investigation into the arrest. Two other police department employees, Officer Jeffrey Johnson and Officer Christopher Hayes, were also on the scene when Tad Johnson and his 71-year-old mother, Charlene Johnson, were arrested after police responded to a report that Tad Johnson was throwing garbage in the street.

On dashcam audio from the September 2017 arrest, officers can be heard arguing with Tad Johnson. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

At one point, an officer — reportedly identified as Officer Jeffrey Johnson — can be heard telling the man, "Please, finish yourself off," before telling another officer that Johnson was choking himself.

The officer can also be heard taunting Tad Johnson with remarks like, "You still live with mom." When Tad Johnson threatens, "I'll beat your f****** ass," the officer replies, "Bring it."

Hart explained to WSPY why Sgt. Klingel was fired and Officer Johnson was simply suspended. "Sergeants are first-line supervisors who are in charge of officers on the street, and their day-to-day job description is to take control of scenes," he said.

Also on the dash cam audio, Charlene Johnson can be heard telling police her son suffers from PTSD and that she has been trying to get him to a doctor.

The mother and son apparently tried to flee in a vehicle but were blocked by a squad car. Police ordered Tad Johnson out of the car and shocked him once with a Taser.

"He's getting cited for littering, that's for sure," an officer can be heard saying. " ... I got the Taser out, he's getting tased immediately."

Kendall County Judge Judge Stephen Krentz suppressed evidence in the case earlier this year, finding that the officers on the scene escalated the situation by "taunting the person who was obviously experiencing emotional distress."

Charlene Johnson was charged with obstructing a peace officer and resisting a peace officer. Tad Johnson was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting a peace officer. Both were found not guilty during a brief bench trial on July 11.

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