 "As we recognize these individuals today, we keep in mind all
of those who work diligently to protect and serve us on a daily
basis," said Trent. "We are truly honored and grateful to these
individuals for their unselfish actions which ultimately provide a
better quality of life for all of us."David Bivens has proven to
be a successful homicide investigator as a member of the Metro-East
Homicide Unit. Because of his ability, knowledge and positive
attitude, he is always assigned as a lead investigator when the unit
is activated and routinely volunteers his assistance to fellow
investigators. The unit has come to rely upon him to assist local
departments with the review of problem cases because of his
investigative ability, legal knowledge and his proficiency to work
with other agencies in a professional, courteous and respectful
manner.
Brian Ingram's daily performance exemplifies the personal traits
of dedication, initiative, integrity and service to his community.
He has distinguished himself not only as an effective day shift
patrol officer, but also as an overall leader in District 10. His
enforcement places him at, or near the top, of most monthly activity
counts. His knowledge of statutes and available resources enables
him to apply his high activity to the fullest extent to remove
menacing drivers and dangerous criminals from our communities. He
remains calm and collected in the face of adversity and is the
"go-to" officer of choice in District 10 to handle complex calls for
service. His uniform, equipment and squad car are always maintained
in exemplary condition, and he is the logical choice for public
appearances.
As a chemist in the Drug Chemistry Section of the Joliet Forensic
Science Laboratory, Brian Trost is recognized for his excellent work
ethic and commitment to the community. He always maintains excellent
working relations with the laboratory's user agencies as well as his
co-workers. He focuses on the fact that the laboratory is a service
organization and is committed to providing the highest level of
service to the law enforcement community. His dedication to his
career is only eclipsed by his profound commitment to his family. He
has been actively involved in fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes
Foundation and participates in the Bike for a Cure ride in
California annually. In addition to all of these responsibilities,
he was able to complete his Master of Business Administration degree
in 2006. He is a unique individual who inspires others around him
and through his example encourages everyone to try harder and to
make a difference.
David Melvin, a 21-year employee, has provided excellent service
to the Illinois State Police and is a strong leading force in the
District 6 Communications Center. He was resourceful in improving
the efficiency of the district through the use of his personal
computer's scanner to streamline document handling and make
department forms readily available on computer disk for the
troopers' in-car computers. He is a courteous and resourceful
individual who deals kindly and professionally with both co-workers
and members of the public.
Awards presented to Illinois State Police personnel during the
ceremony include the following:
District 13 troopers Paul Moak and Jay Wittenborn were awarded
the department's Medal of Valor after responding to a report of an
individual shooting a firearm at a residence on Dec. 23, 2004. After
arriving at the scene, the subject began shooting at Moak as he
exited his car, striking the driver's door. As the subject continued
shooting toward the officer, Moak crawled inside his squad car and
began to scan the backyard with his spotlight. The shooter again
shot in Moak's direction, striking the squad car in the front
driver's side window while the officer was sitting in the front
seat. Moak sought cover on the ground behind the passenger side of
his squad car as several officers returned fire. While gunshots were
being exchanged, Wittenborn was able to maneuver his way through a
wooded area across the street from the suspect's location. During
the incident, the suspect went behind a garage, where he lay on the
ground and began hollering at officers. Wittenborn was able to sneak
up behind the suspect and take him into custody without further
incident.
On Aug. 17, 2006, District 20 trooper Travis Dunlap responded to
a call of an armed suicidal subject. Upon arrival, the officers
encountered an emotionally upset and agitated individual with a
loaded shotgun placed under his chin, threatening suicide. After
attempting to talk him into lowering the weapon, the subject was
distracted with a phone call and Dunlap was able to grab the gun as
the deputy rushed the subject. Dunlap was awarded the department's
Medal of Honor for disarming and subduing the subject.
District 12 Master Sgt. David Mahon was awarded the department's
Medal of Honor for disarming an armed suicidal individual. On Sept.
8, 2007, Mahon responded to a call of an intoxicated subject
brandishing a shotgun. Utilizing his experience as a former Tactical
Response Team member, he was able to establish a conversation with
the subject, who refused to surrender his weapon. After repeatedly
ordering the subject to put down his weapon, Mahon lunged at the
subject, grabbing the gun as a Jasper County deputy used a Taser to
subdue the individual.
District Nine Sgt. Dennis Baird and troopers Hugh Carlock,
Stephen Coady, Steven Ent, John Griffin and Robert Reiser were
awarded the department's Lifesaving Medal for their efforts to save
the life of a motorcyclist on July 15, 2006. After responding to a
motorcycle crash in which the driver was not breathing, had no pulse
and was bleeding heavily from the mouth area, the officers worked in
unison to revive the victim by performing emergency medical
techniques. Without the collective efforts of these officers, the
driver would not have survived.
On Oct. 29, 2006, District 13 trooper James Bradley responded to
a residence with other officers and discovered an individual hanging
from a tree, unresponsive and barely conscious. Bradley and a West
Frankfort officer grabbed the individual and lifted him up while
another officer untied the strap. Bradley was awarded the
department's Lifesaving Medal for saving the individual's life.
District 17 trooper Chad Broyles was awarded the department's
Lifesaving Medal for saving the life of a diabetic individual. On
Nov. 3, 2006, Broyles responded to a call of a vehicle in the ditch.
Upon his arrival, he began speaking with the driver, who was unable
to respond clearly. Broyles assessed that the driver could possibly
be a diabetic, and she was able to nod and confirm that she was. The
trooper administered a tube of glucose, but the driver became
unresponsive to the treatment. Believing she was going to die if not
transported to a hospital immediately, he met emergency medical
personnel who transported her to the hospital for treatment.
District Chicago troopers Donnie Conley and Timothy Tyler were
awarded the department's Lifesaving Medal for pulling a suicidal
subject from jumping to his death. On Jan. 1, 2006, Conley was
dispatched to a report of a man attempting to jump off a bridge into
the water below. As Conley engaged the subject in conversation,
Tyler arrived on the scene. As the subject began to slide down the
river's wall, Conley grabbed the subject by the back of his shirt
and Tyler grabbed his arm. Together, the troopers pulled the subject
over the wall and contained him until he could be transported to the
hospital for an evaluation.
The department's Lifesaving Medal was awarded to District Chicago
trooper David Keltner for saving the life of a suicidal subject.
After responding to a call in the area of Interstate 55 and Michigan
and State Street on March 13, 2006, Keltner located a male subject
hanging from an overpass sign. Keltner climbed the fence and was
able to lean over and get the subject close enough to him to grab
his arm. The trooper was able to get the man to climb back over the
fence and to a safe location before being transported to a hospital
for evaluation.
On Aug. 14, 2006, Keltner responded to a call of a suicidal
subject. He located a 32-year-old male subject sitting on the
overpass wall, teetering over the avenue. As the agitated subject
began shouting obscenities at the officer, he became more upset upon
the arrival of the fire department and positioned his entire
backside off the wall, giving the appearance he was going to fall
backward. The officer maneuvered closer to the subject, dove toward
the man, grabbed him by the left leg and pulled him to safety.
Keltner was awarded the department's Lifesaving Medal for his
heroics.
[to top of second column] |
 District 13 trooper Paul Moak was awarded the department's
Lifesaving Medal for saving the life of a suicidal subject. On May
5, 2006, Moak responded to a report of a subject attempting to
commit suicide by hanging himself. As he arrived at the residence,
Moak observed an unconscious individual hanging by a rope from the
living room ceiling. After cutting the rope from around the man's
neck and lowering him to the floor, Moak began performing CPR,
reviving the subject.
District 18 trooper Jeff Moore was awarded the department's
Lifesaving Medal for rescuing a woman who had driven into water. On
Jan. 5, 2005, Moore was off duty when a neighbor called and said a
friend had just called in a panic saying she had driven into some
water that was seeping into her car. Moore arrived at the area where
he suspected the woman might have entered the water, and after
calling for assistance, he was able to drive through the water in
his 4 x 4 truck, reaching the other side of the bridge. Due to the
fast-rising flood, he walked through the water, reaching the driver
and leading her to safety.
On Dec. 9, 2006, District 13 trooper Craig Odom was at the
Jackson County Sheriff's Department when they received a 911 call
regarding a drug overdose. Upon his arrival, he found an individual
lying on the floor not breathing and began CPR until the victim
began breathing on their own. Odom was awarded the department's
Lifesaving Medal for his actions.
While traveling on a rural Christian County road on April 17,
2006, Zone 4 special agent David Shearer came upon a traffic crash.
Upon approaching the accident scene, he observed a pickup lying on
its top and a car on fire. After requesting assistance, he
approached the car and found the female driver conscious and
complaining of leg pain. With entry into the vehicle impossible from
both front doors due to severe damage and intense heat, he was able
to reach into the vehicle through the front window, cut the driver's
seat belt and remove her before the car became completely engulfed
in flames. Shearer was awarded the department's Lifesaving Award for
rescuing the female occupant.
District Chicago trooper Christopher Stewart was awarded the
department's Lifesaving Medal for resuscitating an individual. On
April 5, 2006, while on patrol, he was flagged down by two females
in a vehicle who told him their friend was having trouble breathing.
Stewart, with the assistance of one of the friends, began performing
CPR, resuscitating the victim.
District Chicago Sgt. Devin Stokes and trooper Peter Radulovic
were awarded the Lifesaving Medal for rescuing a Chicago Police
Department officer from a burning vehicle. On May 7, 2006, the
officers responded to a dispatch of a Chicago Police Department
squad car following a vehicle whose driver was wanted for unlawful
use of a weapon. After a few minutes, the dispatch was canceled. A
short time later, Radulovic came upon an unmarked squad car pinned
against a light pole with the car's front end fully engulfed in
flames, making it difficult to see inside. Radulovic observed a
subject in the passenger area of the squad car waving an automatic
handgun and heard two shots being fired. After verifying that the
individual firing the gun was a Chicago Police Department tactical
officer and not the offender wanted earlier, he attempted to
extinguish the fire and gain entry to the vehicle to free the
officers. All of the doors were damaged and would not open and the
driver was pinned under the collapsed dashboard. Stokes arrived and
assisted with rescue efforts. After breaking the right rear window,
Stokes and Radulovic were able to pull one of the occupants out
through the window. The front seat passenger was able to free
himself and exit the squad car.
On Dec. 12, 2006, District 12 trooper Ronald Will responded to a
call of a parent requesting assistance with an unresponsive child.
When he arrived, he found the parents with their 2-year-old son
suffering from a seizure and not breathing. Will began ventilating
the child and was able to revive him twice before the child was
taken to the hospital. Will was awarded the department's Lifesaving
Medal for his actions.
District 7 trooper Jason Wilson was awarded the department's
Lifesaving Medal for his rescue efforts on Sept. 21, 2006. After
attempting to set his wife's residence on fire and stabbing one of
its occupants, a subject fled the scene. As officers responded to
the suspect's rural address, they observed his vehicle parked in the
yard. Meanwhile, Wilson and another officer heard a vehicle engine
and child's voice coming from inside a nearby machine shed, where
they observed a small child in the passenger area of a pickup truck.
Officers quickly entered the shed and disconnected a hose that had
been connected from the exhaust into truck. The 2-year-old child was
safely removed from the vehicle and taken to the hospital for
treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning. The subject was air-lifted
for severe burns.
Other Officer of the Year nominees:
Division of Operations
-
Trooper Troy M.
Layne, District 1
-
Trooper Derek M.
Cowan, District 2
-
Trooper Timothy T.
Tyler, District Chicago
-
Trooper Eric A.
Scott, District 5
-
Trooper Clint M.
Thulen, District 7
-
Trooper Gregory D.
Bowers, District 8
-
Trooper Steven M. Ent,
District 9
-
Trooper Brian K.
Ingram, District 10
-
Trooper David E.
Filkins, District 11
-
Trooper Mark R.
Flack, District 12
-
Sgt. John L. Hafford,
District 13
-
Trooper Joseph W.
Hutchins, District 14
-
Trooper Tommie E.
King, District 15
-
Trooper Brent C.
Massingill, District 16
-
Trooper Michael A.
Ketter, District 17
-
Trooper Juan T.
Lingow, District 18
-
Trooper Jeffrey A.
Knight, District 19
-
Sgt. Jeffrey L.
Schisler, District 20
-
Trooper Steven M.
Sigler, District 21
-
Trooper Michael S.
Alvey, District 22
-
Special agent Robert
A. Hunt, Zone 1
-
Sgt. Jerome E.
Costliow, Zone 2
-
Trooper Jason L.
Holt, Zone 3
-
Special agent Phillip
E. Trompeter, Zone 4
-
Special agent Daniel
D. Hill, Zone 5
-
Special agent Hector
I. Robert, Zone 7
-
Sgt. Paul "Bill" W.
Markun, director's office
-
Sgt. Michael J. Oyer,
Division of Forensic Services
-
Sgt. Michael J. Witt,
Division of Internal Investigation
-
Trooper Timothy M.
Good, Operational Services Command
Other Telecommunicator of the Year nominees:
-
Connie S. Grenoble,
District 1
-
Dennis C. Lee,
District 2
-
Christine D. Asuega,
District Chicago
-
Joan R. Schackman,
District 5
-
Heather A. Pierson,
District 7
-
Kathy J. Yentes,
District 8
-
Laura A. Moore,
Springfield Communications Center
-
Kenneth R. Williams,
District 10
-
Eleanor F. Nyman,
District 11
-
Heather M. Cloe,
District 12
-
Jamie L. Moak,
District 13
-
Roxilee Vawter,
District 14
-
Michelle Vickers,
District 15
-
Michael J. Reittinger,
District 16
-
Kathryn L. Brewer,
District 17
-
Arleen M. Simmons,
District 19
-
Emily C. Dell,
District 20
-
Patricia J. LaGesse,
District 21
-
Sharon L. Moore,
District 22
Other Forensic Scientist of the Year nominees:
-
Richard W. Amberger,
Metro-East Forensic Science Laboratory
-
Cynthia M. Cale,
Rockford Forensic Science Laboratory
-
Gary L. Havey,
Springfield Forensic Science Laboratory
-
Melissa M. McCann,
Forensic Science Center at Chicago
-
Linda F. Yborra,
Morton Forensic Science Laboratory
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
 |
