Sheriff intervened in Aurora investigation into man shot by deputies

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin criticized Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain, accusing the sheriff of interfering in an Aurora police investigation that ultimately led deputies to kill a man a day later .

The mayor made the remarks at Tuesday's City Council meeting in response to what Hain said in a Chicago Sun-Times article about the May 24 death of James J. Moriarty, 38, of Aurora. 2023, at the Geneva-Batavia border.

The death could have been avoided, Irvin said, if officers had not interfered with Aurora police's plan to arrest Moriarty the day before.

“Why a county sheriff would interfere in a municipal police operation perplexes me,” Irvin said. “Although the Sheriff's Office has county-wide jurisdiction, common sense should have told them to let our officers handle the operation that was already underway within the Aurora city limits, where the Aurora Police Department has ultimate jurisdiction.”

Hain declined to comment.

Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain

Irvin said undercover Aurora officers were outside Moriarty's home on May 23, 2023, waiting near his parked car to arrest him “in the safest way possible.” Moriarty was suspected of several crimes committed in Aurora over the previous two days.

“Unfortunately, this operation was compromised when sheriff's deputies, acting under direct orders from Sheriff Hain himself, appeared on scene and seized Moriarty's vehicle – despite our officers' immediate explanation of what 'They were doing in the APD operation and why,'” Irvin said.

Kane County deputies and officers from several police agencies are investigating a shooting at Fabyan Parkway and Randall Road on the Geneva-Batavia border on May 24, 2023.
Daily Herald file photo/May 2023

Aurora police then left, thinking their cover had been blown, the report said.

The next day, Moriarty was suspected of carjacking in Aurora. After a license plate scanner camera recorded an incident around 2:30 p.m. in Elgin, a Kane County deputy began following the stolen car near Randall and Silver Glen roads near South Elgin, according to Hate.

The stolen car hit another car at Randall and Fabyan. According to Hain, Moriarty went outside, a sheriff's dog tried to apprehend him, Moriarty showed a gun and three deputies shot him.

Hain told the Sun-Times he didn't know the scope of Operation Aurora because a subordinate didn't tell him details. He called the car a weapon and said he stood by his actions to seize it.

Hain also called Aurora police “reactive” because they just “stand there” and his department is “proactive.”

“This type of police work involves getting someone to engage in a pursuit,” Hain said in the article. “I would say they made things worse. … Obtain a warrant and enter the apartment. …get the guy.

Police chase ends in fatal shooting on Randall Road; suspect, police dog killed

Irvin said Hain should apologize for “his reckless and consequential directives that night and his continued attack on the Aurora Police Department a year later.”

Man killed by Kane Co. deputies had just been charged with robbery, fleeing police in 2 other cases

“The mistake that caused this unfortunate loss of life was his and his alone,” Irvin said, “and he should accept responsibility for it instead of spreading misplaced and unfounded conjectures, rumors and insinuations. “

The shooting remains under investigation.