'Fired' Joliet Police Officer Returning To Work This Week

JOLIET, IL — For the past 15 months, Joliet Police Officer David Blackmore has stayed home from work, collecting his regular paycheck, after he appealed Police Chief Al Roechner's decision to fire him. At no point in 2020 did Roechner present his evidence to the city's police and fire commission to justify why he and his upper command staff chose to get rid of Blackmore.

All the while, Blackmore remained off-duty while his police job remained in limbo. Now that there has been a housecleaning within the Joliet Police Department administration, Patch has learned that Blackmore's termination is not being pursued by the new administration of Police Chief Dawn Malec and Deputy Chief of Administration Sherrie Blackburn.

New City Manager Jim Capparelli told Joliet Patch on Friday that Blackmore's pending discipline matter has been resolved and Blackmore is coming back to work.

On Monday morning, Deputy Chief Blackburn informed Patch that Officer Blackmore's disciplinary case was resolved by the city manager's office, the city legal department and the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, led by Officer Mike Devito.

She and the new upper command staff of the police department were not involved in the deliberations. "We just know that he is returning."

The deputy chief of administration said it was her understanding that Officer Blackmore will be returning to the patrol division "this week."

Blackmore started as a Joliet police officer in March 2006. Blackmore had been honored with two Silver Life Saving Awards, in 2012 and again in 2018.

Other officers at the Joliet Police Department told Patch that Blackmore will be receiving some discipline as a result of the case brought against him by Roechner, who agreed to retire as chief as part of a negotiated settlement in January.

But the bottom line is that Blackmore will be returning to the patrol division in the coming weeks. He will need to make sure that all of his training and certifications are up to date.

Last Nov. 30, Patch reported that Blackmore has collected 24 regular paychecks of $4,106 for staying home from the job, plus an annual court stipend, plus holiday pay. In total, Blackmore has received $101,260 since being relieved of duty by the chief.

Roechner's letter informing Blackmore of his Dec. 27, 2019 firing stated the following:

"There were discrepancies involving statements that you made on your on-duty injury report, information you provided on your Joliet Police Department Offense report, information you provided to your doctor, and the events that occurred on August 21, 2018."

Roechner informed Blackmore how the Joliet Police Department has a general order governing code of conduct and "Conduct unbecoming of Department members shall not be tolerated."

"This shall include any conduct which adversely affects the morale, operations, or efficiency of the department or any conduct which has a tendency to adversely affect, lower, or destroy public respect and confidence in the department, or any department member," the letter reads, also pointing out, "Members shall not knowingly make false statements or intentionally misrepresent facts."

One year earlier, on Sept. 12, 2018, Chief Roechner notified Blackmore that he was being honored with the Joliet Police Department's Silver Lifesaving Award, Blackmore's personnel files show.

In that case, Blackmore conducted a welfare check on an elderly resident who had not been seen for several days.

"Upon arrival, you made numerous attempts to make contact with anyone in the residence to no avail. Not satisfied that there was not a problem, you eventually forced entry into the residence. You found the 68-year-old (residence) incapacitated under a pile of books and magazines that had fallen on him, making it impossible for him to get up. You then assisted the paramedics in rescuing him and removing him from the situation so that paramedics could transport him to the hospital," Blackmore's award letter reads.

In 2012, then-Joliet Police Chief Mike Trafton honored Blackmore with a Life Saving Award for Blackmore's actions in preventing a man from jumping into the river and drowning that March.

"You quickly exited your squad car and grabbed hold of the subject, preventing him from jumping into the Des Plaines River, and you were then able to pull him off the railing. Once safely on the ground, he started to convulse. Other officers arrived on the scene and assisted you in restraining the subject until the Joliet Fire Deportment arrived and transported the subject to the hospital."