Joliet Police Lt. Jeremy Harrison No Longer Working Regular Duty: JPD

JOLIET, IL — One of the highest-ranking members of the Joliet Police Department is now being paid not to work his regular duties and an employment investigation is underway that may lead to disciplinary action.

Lt. Jeremy 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, Patch learned.

"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 advised Patch on Tuesday.

Harrison was one of many Joliet Police Department supervisors who threw their support to Terry D'Arcy, prior to his victory over two-term incumbent and former Joliet police officer Bob O'Dekirk in 2023. Harrison was in attendance at D'Arcy's victory celebration at the Joliet Park District's property.

Harrison, now 48, has been the subject of multiple Joliet Patch stories over recent years.

Last December, Patch reported that more than four years after Sgt. Javier Esqueda was branded a criminal by his own Joliet Police Department, Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis filed a motion with Kendall County Judge Jody Gleason seeking to immediately dismiss the four felony counts that he filed against Esqueda in late 2020.

Back in the summer of 2020, then-Joliet police Sgt. Esqueda released the video of 38-year-old Joliet resident Eric Lurry dying in Joliet police custody. Joliet police Sgt. Doug May, Lt. Jeremy Harrison, former cop Andrew McCue and Officer Jose Tellez remain defendants in the ongoing federal police misconduct lawsuit brought against them by Nicole Lurry, whose husband died Jan. 29, 2020.

On May 7, Joliet Patch revealed that the city of Joliet and Joliet Police Department received news that their efforts to convince federal judge Jeffrey Cummings to dismiss Nicole Lurry's August 2020 federal lawsuit for the death of her husband did not succeed.

The federal judge issued his ruling of 68 pages, and while some of Nicole Lurry's claims were thrown out, several others stayed.

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.