The Aurora Police Department has terminated the employment of a police officer after a criminal and internal Office of Professional Standards Investigation revealed he left numerous threatening voicemails to harm the life and well-being of the intended recipient.
On Saturday, April 24th, 2021, a local resident came into the Aurora Police Department’s Front Desk and reported that his teenage child had received numerous threatening voicemails on their cell phone. During the course of the initial investigation, officers learned that the phone number was a personal phone associated with an Aurora Police Officer.
Due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, the case was immediately assigned to supervisors from Aurora Police’s Division of Investigative Services, and they began a full criminal investigation. Detectives interviewed several people and collected numerous pieces of evidence to build a criminal case.
A few days later, the victim and their family came to Aurora Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and signed a formal complaint against Officer Jonathan Olsen. At that time, Olsen was immediately placed on administrative leave as dictated by Aurora Police policy.
In addition to the criminal case, Aurora Police’s Office of Professional Standards opened an internal administrative investigation into Olsen’s conduct. Office of Professional Standards Investigators interviewed witnesses and collected evidence as part of their investigation. Ultimately, the Office of Professional Standards found the complaint sustained.
The administrative case was reviewed by the Bureau Commander and the Employee Review Board, who recommended termination. After being reviewed internally, the administrative case was sent to the newly formed City of Aurora’s Civilian Review Board for review. This Office of Professional Standards case was one of the first cases reviewed by the Civilian Review Board, which concurred with the findings and also recommended termination.
The administrative case was returned to Chief of Police Keith Cross, who recommended Officer Jonathan Olsen be terminated by the city. Shortly thereafter, Jonathan Olsen was terminated.
Additionally, the facts and evidence of the parallel criminal investigation by Aurora Police’s Investigations Division were presented to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.
“After conferring with those involved, including the victim, the victim’s parents, the Aurora Police Department as well as investigators and attorneys from my office, I have made the determination that in consideration of the evidence, facts, and circumstances, and with deference and concern given to the minor as well as the minor’s parents’ satisfaction with the disciplinary actions imposed upon Jonathan Olsen and their desire to not pursue any further action regarding Aurora Police report AUPR21004680, no criminal charges will be filed against Jonathan Olsen,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “Pursuant to Illinois’ statutes, in light of the fact that criminal charges will not be filed, I am not permitted to publicly discuss specifics of the allegations presented to my office.”
“It is crystal clear that Jonathan Olsen violated the law and traumatized several people with his actions,” Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross said.
“Our officers are held to a very high standard and must be held accountable for their actions,” Cross said. “His conduct was detrimental to the department as a whole and his credibility as a police officer."
The department has notified the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board of this termination, as required by state statue.
Officer Jonathan Olsen’s employment was previously terminated in 2017, by former Chief Kristen Ziman, after an Office of Professional Standards investigation into violations of departmental policy.
Olsen appealed his 2017 termination to an arbitrator, who found that the City had proven its allegations of serious misconduct against him, but nevertheless reduced his termination to a suspension of 60 days and reinstated him.