Kane County spat: Aurora Police respond after sheriff blamed department for 2023 K-9 death

AURORA (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Leaders in Aurora are firing back at Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain, days after he put blame on them for a 2023 shootout that left a suspect, and police K-9 dead.

The goal was to take James Moriarty into custody, and Aurora Police Commander Steve Stemmet said his teams were in place, until Hain stepped in.

“When marked Kane County squads arrived to follow the orders of Sheriff Ron Hain, our covert investigation was completely compromised and our investigators were forced to clear the area,” Stemmet said.

What followed was gunfire that left both Moriarty and Kane County K-9 Hudson dead, and at a ceremony last Friday to honor the police dog, Hain took Aurora to task again.

“K-9 Hudson is a standing example of what happens when you don’t work together on a cohesive basis,” Hain said.

Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross called that a disrespectful lie.

“The last time we attempted to meet with the Sheriff to resolve any perceived issues, he failed to show up on the day of the meeting,” Cross revealed. “I’ve been a police officer for 30 years, and I’ve never seen a law enforcement leader try to blame another agency for the loss of one of their officers.”

Cross and others are vowing to continue working with the sheriff’s office moving forward.

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