Rock Falls mayor says police department ‘running smooth’ amid victim’s family calling for chief to resign

The mayor of Rock Falls said the city’s police department is “running smooth” after the father of a Rock Falls murder victim called for the chief’s resignation in June, saying poor leadership led to investigative errors that officers testified to during court proceedings in May.

“I think the mayor of Rock Falls has forgotten who he works for,” said Dan Gordon, father of Daniel “DJ” Gordon, who was killed Feb. 14 in Rock Falls. “This needs to be changed, and [Mayor Rod Kleckler] has to be the one to change it.”

I think people should show up” to city meetings, call their aldermen “and demand change,” Gordon said.

Kleckler told Shaw Local that he, with the consent of the Rock Falls City Council, has the power to fire the police chief, but the city of Rock Falls is “not agreeing” with the assertion that officers mishandled aspects of the Feb. 14 murder investigation.

[ Rock Falls murder victim’s father wants police chief to resign, says chief to blame for investigative errors ]

Police were called about 2 a.m. Feb. 14 to the 600 block of West 20th Street in Rock Falls to find DJ Gordon, 27, unresponsive and suffering multiple abdominal stab wounds. On May 22, Kyle Cooper, 36, of Rock Falls, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder and was given the maximum 20-year sentence.

Kleckler said that means “everything’s closed on my end.”

Gordon’s family “should be satisfied,” Kleckler said. That sentence is “as good as you can expect.”

Originally, Cooper was charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery. First-degree murder carries a minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison, according to 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-20.

The case was headed toward trial until May 14, when Cooper’s defense attorney, Jim Mertes of Sterling, announced that a plea agreement had been reached.

That announcement followed several court hearings at which Mertes made arguments to discredit the Rock Falls Police Department’s investigation. Three Rock Falls officers testified that several protocol violations were made at the scene, such as not processing a vehicle for evidence and allowing witnesses into the crime scene, among other things.

[ Rock Falls man’s murder trial canceled day before jury selection when attorneys announce plea deal ]

“I stand by our investigation. I stand by the work of the investigators,” Rock Falls Police Chief David Pilgrim told Shaw Local in June.

“We have a great police department,” and “our police chief does a fine job,” Rock Falls 1st Ward Alderman Bill Wangelin told Shaw Local.

“I know these people lost a son,” but in the department’s handling of the scene, there were a lot of “very positive” things, such as their “immediate investigation” and calling “other departments to help investigate,” Wangelin said.

The Rock Falls City Council met June 17 - four days after Gordon’s family asked for Pilgrim’s resignation in a Shaw Local article. That topic was not addressed by any city official at that meeting.

“I have not been to a meeting where anyone talked about” the investigation or the resignation request, 2nd Ward Alderman Marshall Doane told Shaw Local.

“I don’t foresee the city coming out with a stance on it just so there’s less out there for the public to read and less talk about this, so that they have less of a mess to sweep under the rug,” Doane said.

The city’s police and fire committee canceled its scheduled meetings in June and July. The committee meets monthly to approve equipment purchases and go over a list of both departments’ calls.

“What was [the council] doing that was more important than public safety that night? Clearly, that’s not the highest priority,” Gordon said.

Those meetings were canceled because “there was nothing really to discuss,” said Wangelin, the committee’s former chairman.

The committee, appointed by Kleckler, was recently restructured. It’s now led by 3rd Ward Alderman Steve Dowd. Its members are Doane, 3rd Ward Alderman Nathan Stahr and 4th Ward Alderwoman Cathy Arduini, city Business Superintendent Michelle Conklin said.

Dowd told Shaw Local that “we have never talked about” this situation in committee meetings, and he was not aware of the resignation request or the investigation’s errors.

“I’ll bring it up at the next meeting,” Dowd said.

The city also has a police and fire commission, required by state law. It meets as needed to discuss personnel issues and oversees hiring for both departments.

The three-person board is appointed by Kleckler. Former Alderman Brian Snow was named chair of the commission in May. Since then, the commission has met once and did not discuss this matter, but Snow said, “I am educating myself on this case.”

“I believe our police department has done a fine job representing the city of Rock Falls,” Snow said.