Eleven men and women were honored Thursday during the annual Police Memorial Ceremony in Springfield including Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Riley who was killed while responding to a motorist assist on Interstate 64.
Prayers were read, bagpipes played and state officials spoke to the crowd including Secretary of State Jesse White.
“You are our heroes and we rely upon you to keep us safe. Without you perish the thought as to what society would be. And as law enforcement officers you put your lives on the line each and every day to protect our communities and our population.”
Officer Tyler Timmins with the Pontoon Beach Police Department was among the others honored.
The names of fallen officers in Illinois are etched on the official memorial on the State Capitol lawn.
