Joliet police officer arrested twice last year on battery charges recommended for firing: record

A Joliet police officer who was arrested twice last year on domestic battery charges has been recommended for firing, according to a personnel order obtained by The Herald-News.

The termination of Officer William Busse, 36, was effective Friday, according to the order. The order did not say why Busse was recommended for termination.

Joliet police Sgt. Christopher Botzum said he had no information on Busse's termination as he was not part of the internal affairs investigation.

Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner did not return a call Friday. Busse did not either.

Busse was arrested twice last year on charges alleging that he physically abused his ex-wife. He was arrested by New Lenox police on May 31 and again on Dec. 29.

A New Lenox police report said Busse slapped his ex-wife’s face during a visit to her home Dec. 29. He covered her mouth when she tried to scream and placed his other hand around her neck, the report said.

Busse was aggressive toward responding officers, yelling profanities and pulling away from them, the report said, and “lunged toward” his ex-wife as he was escorted away by officers.

Busse was suspended for a day without pay May 13 for violating the department’s code of conduct following an internal affairs investigation into whether he struck his girlfriend, records show.

Internal affairs investigated a complaint that Busse punched his girlfriend and grabbed her arms March 3.

Internal affairs also determined the complaint was "sustained in part and not sustained in part," according to the suspension notice. It is not clear what internal affairs determined to be sustained and what it did not.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office investigated Busse in March when the parents of his girlfriend filed a complaint saying they suspected their daughter might have been physically abused, reports show.

The state’s attorney’s office declined to issue a criminal complaint after the investigation. State’s attorney spokeswoman Carole Cheney said a complaint was not issued due to “insufficient evidence” in the case.