The federal suit follows the 2024 dismissal of felony charges tied to the leak.
JOLIET, Ill. — A retired Joliet police sergeant who leaked squad and body camera footage of a 2020 in-custody death filed a federal lawsuit this week claiming city officials and former police leaders retaliated against him after he went public with the video.
The complaint centers on Javier “Butch” Esqueda, a longtime Joliet officer who in 2020 provided video of 37-year-old Eric Lurry to a local newsroom after raising concerns inside the department. The filing names the City of Joliet and former members of the command staff. The case lands as Joliet continues to face federal civil litigation over Lurry’s death and increased scrutiny from state investigators. The city said it could not comment on pending litigation. Esqueda seeks damages for malicious prosecution, lost income, emotional distress and attorney fees.
According to the lawsuit, Lurry was arrested on Jan. 28, 2020, during a narcotics investigation and later became unresponsive while handcuffed in the back of a squad car. The video shows supervisors and officers attempting to remove suspected drugs from his mouth, one officer striking his face and pinching his nose as others looked on, and no immediate medical call while he slumped sideways. The Will County coroner ruled Lurry died of an accidental overdose. Esqueda says he reported what he viewed as policy violations to a captain in June 2020 and was told to write a short memo. Weeks later, he shared a copy of the video with a reporter. “Doing the right thing should never be an option,” Esqueda said in a statement released to television reporters.
The suit alleges that after the leak, Esqueda was stripped of police duties, reassigned to administrative tasks and targeted by an investigation. In October 2020, Kendall County prosecutors charged him with four counts of official misconduct related to accessing and sharing the video. He resigned from the department in 2022. A judge dismissed the criminal case in December 2024. The federal complaint accuses former Police Chief Al Roechner, former Deputy Chiefs Marc Reid and Joe Rosado, and former investigations commander Joe Egizio of orchestrating a campaign to punish a whistleblower. The city declined to discuss the claims, citing the active case. The defendants have not yet filed responses in court.
The filing recounts Esqueda’s 26 years at the department, including promotions to sergeant and field training roles. It describes a timeline at the police station on the day of Lurry’s detention, stating that officers failed to search him properly before transport, left him alone in a squad car for several minutes and did not summon medical help when he showed signs of distress. The complaint also alleges video was edited or audio was muted before it was later shown to selected community members, and it says portions of internal reports were falsified. Attorneys for Lurry’s family continue to pursue a separate wrongful death suit that survived key defense challenges earlier this year. Records show the city budgeted additional legal funds in 2025 with the case still active.
The Joliet Police Department’s practices have drawn wider attention since Lurry’s death. In 2024, the Illinois Attorney General released findings from a three-year civil rights investigation that concluded the department engaged in a pattern of unreasonable force. Joliet leaders acknowledged reforms in training and policy while disputing parts of the analysis. The attorney general’s office and the city signaled plans to negotiate a court-enforceable agreement, a process that can take months. Esqueda’s lawsuit cites that report to argue his concerns were consistent with systemic issues.
Esqueda’s federal case seeks compensatory and punitive damages, along with attorney fees, under civil rights and state law claims. The complaint asks for a jury trial. A city spokesperson said Joliet would address the allegations in court filings. Court records show no hearing date set. If the defendants are served next week, initial responses would be due within the standard 21-day period. Separate litigation over Lurry’s death remains on track for additional pretrial motions through early 2026.
Outside the station, residents who followed the case reflected on the new suit. “People want answers and accountability,” said Joliet resident Angela Morales, who attended earlier council meetings when the video first circulated. Former officers interviewed in recent months described a department under transition as new policies rolled out. Lawyers for Esqueda said he has continued to speak publicly about officer training and duty-of-care obligations.
As of Sunday, the city had not filed a response to Esqueda’s complaint and no hearing date appeared on the federal docket. Attorneys in the case expect scheduling orders to set discovery deadlines in the coming weeks.
Author note: Last updated December 14, 2025.