Fired By Joliet Police: Lt. Jeremy Harrison Learns His Fate From His Police Administration

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans informed Joliet Police Lt. Jeremy Harrison on Monday morning that Harrison has been recommended for termination, making him the second member of the police department in recent months to face a firing. The chief also got rid of patrol officer Alfonso Sanchez in October 2024.

A copy of the chief's three-page letter to Harrison includes the following statement, "I have evaluated the seriousness of the misconduct and its relationship to your job duties. Compliance with Joliet Police Department's general orders regarding code of conduct and Illinois Domestic Violence Laws is at the heart of your position, duties and responsibilities. The evidence has shown that you can no longer be trusted to perform the duties as a police officer," Chief Evans wrote in Mondays' letter.

On Aug. 5, Joliet Patch reported that Harrison, one of the highest-ranking members of the Joliet Police Department, was on administrative leave and being paid not to work his regular duties amid an employment investigation that could lead to disciplinary action.

Lt. Harrison, who recently turned 49, has held the position of commander for the Joliet Police Department SWAT team, and he has supervised the officers assigned to the narcotics unit, the burglary and robbery unit and also the tactical unit, including the officers who are assigned unmarked police vehicles.

"Lieutenant Jeremy Harrison was placed on administrative leave early last week. This is an investigation being conducted by the city of Joliet Inspector General, therefore I am unable to provide further details," Joliet Police Department spokesman Dwayne English told Patch in early August.

On Monday morning, Harrison's lawyer, Michael Ettinger, informed Joliet Patch that the chief of police in Joliet called his client and "they fired him."

Patch asked Ettinger if Harrison will appeal his termination to the city of Joliet's police and fire board. "Absolutely," Ettinger responded. "We're going to war, and this will be a war."

Ettinger said the police chief will have 30 days to file his charges outlining his reasoning for firing Harrison.

Ettinger's law firm sent Joliet Patch 66 pages of awards and achievement certificates. Joliet Patch has included a few of the most recent ones at the bottom of this story.

In addition, Ettinger furnished Patch with Monday's three-page dismissal order from Police Chief Evans, and one of the key reasons outlined in the document for Harrison's termination concerns Harrison's apparent misuse of the department's license plate reader camera system.

A copy of the chief's termination letter is shared at the very bottom of this story.

In early 2020, Joliet Patch reported that Lt. Harrison was involved in an off-duty late night crash in a Shorewood subdivision on April 22, 2018, and that Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner's administration chose not to impose any disciplinary measures against Harrison for his role in the suspected hit-and-run incident.

An eyewitness who saw Harrison's black Chevy Trailblazer collide with the parked car on Wildflower Drive around 1 a.m. informed 911 emergency dispatchers that the hit-and-run driver appeared to be intoxicated. The eyewitness also told 911 dispatchers that Harrison's fleeing and damaged Chevy Trailblazer stopped several blocks away, where Harrison switched positions with his front-seat female passenger, police reports obtained by Patch indicate.

A few minutes later, the damaged SUV arrived at the Joliet Police lieutenant's driveway. Harrison, a blonde female passenger and a child went inside. The distance from the crash to Harrison's house was about eight blocks.

Joliet Patch learned that Joliet Police Sgt. Darren Prochaska responded, even though the hit-and-run was in Shorewood, not the city of Joliet's jurisdiction. Prochaska was notified of the incident at 1:11 a.m. He arrived at Harrison's house 15 minutes later. He remained on the call involving his fellow Joliet Police Department supervisor until 2:23 a.m., documents obtained by Patch show.

After Prochaska arrived and became involved in the investigation, a Shorewood patrolman issued Harrison one traffic ticket for improper lane usage-crossing lane boundary unsafely. Harrison was not asked to perform any field-sobriety tests, and no criminal charges were filed.

Harrison paid a $120 fine within a couple weeks of the incident and his case was closed.

He's the second Joliet police officer to be fired in as many months.

On Nov. 10, Joliet Patch reported that after being on paid administrative leave from the Joliet Police Department for the past 13 months, Joliet Detective Pete Ranstead was notified that he is being recommended for termination by Police Chief Bill Evans and the command staff, Joliet Patch has confirmed.

“Today, Detective Peter Ranstead was formally notified of his termination from the Joliet Police Department following an extensive internal investigation into an alleged domestic battery incident that occurred in September of 2024," Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans announced in a statement issued Monday evening in response to Joliet Patch's inquiry. "The Joliet Police Department is built on accountability and ethical conduct, both on and off duty. As Chief, I will continue leading a department that upholds those principles and earns the trust of our community through integrity and service. The citizens of Joliet deserve nothing less.”

Ranstead's termination came exactly two months after Joliet Patch published an exclusive story, revealing that Ranstead had received approximately $104,835 for being on administrative paid leave from Joliet through the end of August.

Back on Oct. 2, 2024, Joliet Patch broke the news surrounding Ranstead's arrest, after fellow Joliet police were called to his home in the Kendall County portion of Joliet the previous weekend. Ranstead was arrested and charged in Kendall County with two counts of domestic battery and one count of interfering with the reporting of domestic violence.