The annual Illinois Peace Officers Memorial Service to honor law enforcement officers killed in Illinois in the line of duty, including nine who died during 2024, will be held Thursday, May 1 at 11 a.m. at the Illinois Peace Officer Memorial sculpture on the Illinois State Capitol grounds in Springfield. For the first time, K-9 partners killed in the line of duty will also be recognized during the May 1 ceremony.
“This annual ceremony honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities,” said Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge President Chris Southwood. “Every man and woman in this difficult and dangerous profession knows the risks they face every time they put on the badge. Like their human partners, the faithful dogs who serve in police K-9 units are also brave public servants who sometimes pay the ultimate price to keep citizens safe. As a former K-9 officer myself I’m proud and humbled to recognize the sacrifices made by all who serve in law enforcement.”
The nine law enforcement officers killed during 2024 are Deputy Christina Musil, Dekalb County Sheriff’s Department, March 29; Sergeant Andrew J. Faught, Illinois Department of Corrections, April 8; Officer Luis Miguel Huesca, Chicago Police Department, April 21; Deputy Sheriff Rafael D. Wordlaw, Cook County Sheriff’s Department of Corrections, July 30; Officer James B. Crowley, Chicago Police Department, August 22; Trooper Corey Steven Thompsen, Illinois State Police, October 18; Officer Enrique Martinez, Chicago Police Department, November 4; Detective Allan Marcus Reddins, Oak Park Police Department, November 29; and Trooper Clay Matthew Carns, Illinois State Police, December 23.
The three K-9 partners who died in the line of duty during 2024 include Nyx, Rockford Police Department, January 28; Dax, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, April 12; and Odin, Alton Police Department, August 22.
The May 1 ceremony will also recognize those K-9 partners killed in the line of duty prior to 2024. These include: Sam, Chicago Police Department, February 27, 1965; Kirk,
Chicago Police Department, December 3, 1970; Caesar, Chicago Police Department, February 14, 1972; Rex III, Chicago Police Department, February 13, 1979; King, Chicago Police Department, May 3, 1978; Sieger, Chicago Police Department, May 14, 1979; Duke, Chicago Police Department, January 1, 1985; Max II, Chicago Police Department, February 9, 1986; Rocco, Roselle Police Department, June 16, 1995; Uno, Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, November 2, 2006; Bobby, Geneseo Police Department, February 22, 2013; Kali, Peru Police Department, August 3, 2013; Draco, Pontiac Police Department, October 30, 2013;
Simmie, East St. Louis Police Department, August 27, 2014; Drago, Cook County Forest Preserve, June 14, 2017; Loki, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, December 27, 2020; and Hudson, Kane County Sheriff’s Office, May 24, 2023.
The day’s observance on May 1 will begin with the lineup of squad cars from around the state at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The procession will depart the fairgrounds and arrive at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for a 9:30 a.m. memorial church service. The procession then travels to the State Capitol for the 11 a.m. ceremony.
The Illinois FOP State Lodge is one of the founding organizations of the Illinois Peace Officers Memorial. The other founding organizations include the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Illinois Police Association, Illinois Sheriff’s Association, and Police Benevolent and Protective Association. Supporting organizations include Blue Knights of Illinois, Illinois Gold Star Families, and Illinois Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS)
The Illinois Police Officers Memorial Committee was established in 1985. The monument in Springfield bears the names of the officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities. Every year on the first Thursday of May, they hold a ceremony to pay tribute to fallen officers and their families. For more information, visit www.illinoispolicememorial.org
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FOP is the most respected and most recognized police organization in the country. The Illinois FOP, chartered in 1963, is the second largest State Lodge, proudly representing more than 34,000 active duty and retired police officers – more than 10 percent of all FOP members nationwide. Visit www.ilfop.org for more information.
***Courtesy of the Fraternal Order of Police***
