Senator Questions Joliet Police Role In David Malito's Death, Reveals What's Next

JOLIET — One day after Joliet Patch published an exclusive story and body camera video footage surrounding 39-year-old Joliet native David Malito, who died after an encounter with Joliet police at the Shell gas station, State Senator Rachel Ventura issued a press release announcing, "this video is incredibly hard to watch."

The Democrat senator from Joliet remarked that "Mr. Malito was clearly having a reaction to a substance during the time of arrest. But by the end we see a man face down on the ground, struggling to breathe while an officer kneels on his back and neck area and I’m left with more questions than answers. This incident comes on the heels of a series of reports of wrongdoings from the Joliet Police Department. There have got to be better ways to handle these situations."

Joliet police were called to the Shell on Larkin Avenue at 4:25 a.m. on Christmas morning. Malito died about 45 minutes later following his Joliet Fire Department ambulance transport to St. Joe's hospital.

The three primary Joliet police who arrived at the Shell gas station were officers Andrea Espinoza, Oliwia Nowak and Christopher Meza.

"The Joliet Police Department acknowledges the concerns and emotions expressed by members of our community following the December 25th, 2024, incident at the Shell gas station, where David Malito tragically lost his life due to an overdose," Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English told Joliet Patch on Wednesday. "Our thoughts remain with his family, loved ones, and everyone impacted by this loss. A thorough, independent investigation conducted by the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force, along with findings from the Will County Coroner’s Office, determined that Mr. Malito’s cause of death was a drug overdose. The elements of this case were reviewed by the Will County State’s Attorney Office, who found no evidence of wrongdoing or misconduct by the Joliet Police Department officers involved," English said.

In her press release, Senator Ventura had a different perspective in regard to the Joliet police.

“As the local Senator, I’m committed to helping find resources and identify additional or alternative training in hope of never seeing one of these videos again and to restore the public’s trust in our police department. Like so many others, I have questions about what has happened. I will be meeting with the Joliet Police Department next week and gathering additional information and remain committed to working with the Illinois Attorney General to investigate the findings in their recent report and identify more training in situations dealing with mental health or substance abuse.”