Dead body found in downtown Joliet bus shelter

A dead body was found in a downtown Joliet bus shelter Wednesday morning.

A bystander alerted police to an “unresponsive male that was laying on a bus shelter bench” shortly after 9 a.m., said Sgt. Dwayne English, a department spokesman. The bus shelter is next to the parking lot for BMO Harris Bank on East Jefferson Street.

“Officers and a Joliet Fire Department ambulance arrived on the scene and confirmed that the individual appeared deceased,” English said.

“The Will County Coroner arrived on the scene and pronounced the 78-year-old Joliet resident deceased,” he said. “No foul play is suspected however, the cause of death is unknown at this time.”

The man was later identified as James L. Johnson, according to a news release from Will County Laurie Summers’ Office.

Johnson was pronounced deceased at 9:55 a.m. on Wednesday after he was found dead at a bus stop near the intersection of East Jefferson and North Scott streets, coroner officials said in the news release.

The coroner’s office did not provide a preliminary cause of Johnson’s death as of Wednesday afternoon.

“The final cause and manner of this death is pending at this time,” officials said.