Family, friends, supporters honor fallen Illinois police officers
[May 08, 2026]
By
Jenna Schweikert and UIS Public Affairs Reporting (PAR)
In a ceremony at the state Capitol, family, friends and supporters
honored the lives of two law enforcement officers who died in the line
of duty in 2025.
The ceremony honored Officer Krystal Rivera of the Chicago Police
Department and Detective Tim Jones of the Park Forest Police Department.
Held annually on the first Thursday in May, the event is a tradition to
honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty the previous
calendar year.
“Today, as we remember your brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers,
coworkers and friends who lost their lives in the line of duty, let us
not remember them as indestructible superheroes that we may envision as
children,” state Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “Let’s remember them
as human beings, in all their vulnerabilities and susceptibilities, who
chose to take on the risk of the ultimate sacrifice to make others’
lives safer.”
This year’s memorial also included seven historic honorees who died from
1852 to 1936 and one K-9 honoree, Bear, who died in 1987.
“These officers represent the very best of what it means to be a public
servant,” said Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. “They came from
different communities, different departments and different backgrounds,
but they were united by a common goal: to protect people they may never
meet, to run toward danger while others run away and to always put
service above themselves.”
In an emotional address, Giannoulias also spoke of “fellow Greek
American” CPD Officer John Bartholomew, who was shot and killed while on
duty in April. Bartholomew’s visitation and funeral services are set to
take place this weekend.
State Treasurer Michael Frerichs also gave a short speech, speaking on
his family history with law enforcement and loss: “I’m invited here
today because it’s my title. I come here today because of family.”
Frerichs encouraged families of fallen officers to apply to the Fallen
Heroes Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to children who
lost a parent in the line of duty.
The event included a squad car procession at the state fairgrounds and
an interfaith church service at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception,
ending in the ceremony at the Illinois Police Officers Memorial on the
grounds of the state Capitol.
[to top of second column]
|
Illinois State Police officers stand in formation during an annual
ceremony honoring fallen Illinois law enforcement officers. The
ceremony honored a Chicago police officer and Park Forest detective
who died while on duty in 2025. (Capitol News Illinois photo by
Jenna Schweikert)
The mayor of Springfield, Misty Buscher, and the families of two 2025
honorees — Illinois State Police trooper Corey Thompsen and Chicago
Police officer James Crowley — also spoke. Gov. JB Pritzker, Lt. Gov.
Juliana Stratton and Comptroller Susana Mendoza were unable to attend.
Crowley’s sister Beth Carter gave a critical address, calling for
reforms to the beneficiary system that she said left her with legal
issues when her brother, a former police officer who was permanently
injured while on duty, and her mother died within a month of each other.
Thompsen’s parents and brother also called for legislative reform.
Thompsen was hit and killed by a driver who was later issued two tickets
for an expired license and failure to yield. His family asked lawmakers
to enact stricter consequences for crashes resulting in death and to
communicate with other states about such events.
“If someone causes a crash that kills another person, there needs to be
more of a consequence than two paid tickets for $500 each. We feel that
the state of Illinois should notify the other state where the original
license was issued, reporting that a fatality is caused by this person
with an expired driver’s license,” Thompsen’s brother Ryan said. “As the
state’s attorney told us, you won’t find any satisfaction here in the
courthouse. How true that was.”
The Illinois Police Officers Memorial Committee, formed in 1987,
organizes and maintains the monument located on the grounds of the
Capitol. The memorial is self-funded and underwent a renovation and
re-dedication in 2021.
Capitol News Illinois is
a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government
coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily
by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
 |
