2 protesters face charges of obstructing a Joliet officer: records

Two protesters arrested during a rally to protest the death of Eric Lurry were charged with misdemeanors.

On Wednesday, Daniel Alejandre, 23, and Jessica Sandoval, 23, each was formally charged with obstructing of a police officer after their arrests July 19 at the corner of Black Road and Horseshoe Drive, court records show.

A criminal complaint filed against Alejandre alleged he obstructed the performance of a police officer who was directing the flow of traffic by refusing to “move his vehicle when ordered to do so.”

The criminal complaint against Sandoval alleged she obstructed the performance of the same police officer who was engaged in “crowd control efforts” by refusing to “move from the roadway to the sidewalk when ordered to do so.”

Alejandre also was issued a traffic ticket for “stopping, parking or standing” on a roadway that’s “not in a business or residential area,” according to court records.

During the July 19 rally, protester Jason Decker identified Alejandre as the driver of an SUV that stopped on Black Road, blocking traffic for a short time, and Sandoval as a woman who got into the vehicle while it was stopped.

Police pulled the SUV over and took the couple into custody.

Several other protesters who were arrested at recent demonstrations have not yet been formally charged. Many protests have been held throughout the city in response to the death of Lurry in Joliet police custody.

Darien Alsup, 23, of Chicago has been arrested twice on probable cause of obstructing a police officer at protests over Lurry’s death that took place on July 12 and 19. Alsup is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 11 and 13 for hearings on whether he will be charged.

Stringer Harris, 48, of Joliet; Tanya Avila, 31, of Blue Island; and Michael M. Haymer, 39, of Tinley Park are scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 11, 20 and 23, respectively, after their arrests at protests, according to the Joliet police arrest log.

All three were arrested on probable cause of obstructing a police officer.