Joliet police Sgt. Heavener retiring

The Joliet police sergeant who shared center stage with Mayor Bob O’Dekirk in the Fiesta en la Calle controversy is retiring.

Lindsey Heavener is scheduled to retire Thursday.

Meanwhile, an outside law firm continues an investigation into city hall-police department relations that was sparked by the Fiesta en la Calle incident. And, one police officer faces a suspension for his role in it.

Neither Heavener nor O'Dekirk would comment on the retirement.

O’Dekirk made accusations that Heavener was drinking and later sent a text to the police chief saying Heavener was drunk while on duty at the September street festival.

The accusations led to Chief Al Roechner taking Heavener to a hospital that night for blood and urine tests that showed no alcohol in his system. A police department internal investigation cleared Heavener.

Heavener filed ethics complaints against the mayor and Councilwoman Jan Quillman, although Quillman denied repeating the accusations after hearing them from the mayor.

Those complaints were dismissed after law firm Ancel Glink determined that whether or not O'Dekirk and Quillman made any remarks about Heavener that night such comments would not be covered by the city's ethics ordinance.

Ancel Glink continues to look into other matters.

Officer Joe Clement has been suspended for 25 days, although he has filed an appeal with the Joliet Board of Fire and Police Commissioners over the discipline believed to have been issued for comments he made about Heavener’s condition that night.