State Representative Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) joined colleagues at the annual Illinois Police Officers Memorial ceremony today to honor Illinois law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, including 12 who died in late 2021 and during 2022.
The service was held Thursday at the Illinois Police Officer Memorial on the Illinois State Capitol grounds in Springfield. The monument bears the names of the officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities. Every year on the first Thursday of May, a ceremony is held to pay tribute to fallen officers and their families.
The 12 officers killed during late 2021 and in 2022 include: Officer Nicholas Kozak, Forest Park Police Department, November 27, 2021; Officer James R. Svec, Chicago Police Department, December 8, 2021; CBP Canine Officer Jeffrey P. Dela Cruz, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, December 23, 2021; Officer Jose M. Huerta, Chicago Police Department, December 23, 2021; Detective Joseph A. Tripoli, Chicago Police Department, January 3, 2022; Deputy Sheriff Michael John Queeney, Will County Sheriff’s Office, January 8, 2022; Officer Brian Romel Shields, Aurora Police Department, January 11, 2022; Deputy Sheriff Joseph Robert Tinoco, Cook County Sheriff’s Department, January 13, 2022; Sergeant Kenneth John Thurman Sr., Aurora Police Department, January 19, 2022; Deputy Sheriff Brian J. Norton, Ford County Sheriff’s Office, February 5, 2022; Officer Brian Lee Sember, Ottawa Police Department, April 3, 2022; and Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Donald Weist, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, April 29, 2022.