The Illinois House has adopted a resolution to name a portion of Interstate 64 for the late Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Riley.
State Representative Adam Niemerg whose district includes Wayne County introduced the proposal.
“It designates Interstate 64 in Wayne County from mile marker 112 to 116 as the ‘Deputy Sean Riley Memorial Highway.”
Niemerg called Deputy Riley a true hero.
“Sadly on December 19th of last year, Deputy Riley gave his life responding to a distress call, a call for help. That’s the definition of a hero. Putting yourself above others responding to a call not knowing the situation or how it will unfold, but knowing someone is asking for help. That is a hero.”
Another officer responding to back Riley up found him suffering from fatal gunshot wounds, and his patrol car was missing. A man later identified as Ray Tate of Kentucky abandoned the patrol car on I-64 before fleeing to St. Peters, Missouri, where he carjacked and shot a citizen before forcing another man to drive him back to Carlyle Illinois where he was eventually apprehended.
Tate has pleaded guilty to one of 36 murder charges brought against him in Wayne County Court and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22nd.
Riley’s family as well as the Wayne County Sheriff were in the house chambers to hear the resolution be approved.
