Rosemont mayor defends Kenneka Jenkins death investigation
Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens defended the village public safety department's handling of the Kenneka Jenkins death investigation after critics came to a village board meeting Wednesday.
Board meetings, held once a month on Wednesday mornings, rarely draw members of the public. But the Jenkins death prompted four people to attend, one of whom addressed the mayor and trustees during public comment. She accused police of being overly aggressive toward protesters who gathered outside the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare hotel after the Sept. 10 death of the 19-year-old Chicago woman, whose body was discovered in a hotel freezer.
In an interview after the meeting, critics took exception with the department's ruling that Jenkins' death was accidental, and they speculated that foul play was involved.
Though Stephens didn't directly address critics, the mayor responded after the meeting, accusing some protesters of "agitating" law enforcement officers and hotel guests.
"Our guys, I can't be more proud than the way they handled themselves," Stephens said.
In response to the department's accidental death ruling, Stephens invited those with evidence to the contrary to come forward.
In anticipation of perhaps a larger turnout Wednesday, the village stepped up its security presence, posting an officer with a metal detector at the entrance to village hall.