Police chief against wiping away suspended cop's discipline

The Joliet police chief said he was against wiping away a now-retired cop's 25-day suspension for accusing a sober colleague of drinking on duty.

Police Chief Al Roechner said he would not have agreed to rescinding Officer Joe Clement's 25-day suspension "because I stand by my discipline."

"The 25 days he got was what he deserved for his false statements and his conduct unbecoming," Roechner said of Clement.

Roechner suspended Clement in January following an investigation into his role in the Fiesta en la Calle controversy in September 2019.

Clement, according to a Roechner memo on the matter, joined Mayor Bob O'Dekirk in accusing now-retired police Sgt. Lindsey Heavener of drinking to the point of inebriation while working security at the street festival.

Clement said said Heavener was “drunk and slurring his words,” according to Roechner's memo.

Despite the accusations from O'Dekirk and Clement, blood and urine tests Heavener took at a local hospital showed he had no alcohol in his system, Roechner said.

Both Clement, who is a member of the Joliet Park District Board of Commissioners, and Heavener have said they intend to run for the city council in April's election.

Tamara Cummings, an attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police, confirmed Clement's suspension had been rescinded and said it was replaced with a written reprimand.

"Yes, he's also going to get his back pay for those days too," Cummings said.

Not only did Roechner not sign off on the agreement, he says he has yet to even see a copy of the resolution.

Cummings said she did not negotiate the agreement with Roechner and that she dealt instead with an attorney from a private firm hired to represent the city of Joliet.

"The union was quite happy with the outcome," Cummings said of the deal struck with the law firm.

"I just think from the union's perspective, it was a fair and amicable outcome, and we are pleased," she said.

Earlier this week, Mayor Bob O'Dekirk referred questions about the resolution to interim City Manager Jim Hock.

Hock has failed to return numerous calls for comment about the agreement.