35 names on concrete memorial outside Will County Courthouse
Hundreds turned out Thursday to honor the 35 law enforcement officers in Will County who died in the line of duty as the Police Chiefs Association of Will County sponsored its 37th annual Law Enforcement Memorial Day.
The names of the fallen 35 are etched on a concrete memorial outside the Will County Courthouse. The most recent honoree is Kevin J. Brewer, 37, a Will County sheriff’s correctional officer on the emergency response team at the adult detention facility, who suffered a heart attack while on duty Oct. 14.
“This is the hardest thing I hope I will ever have to live through,” said Brewer’s widow, Brooke Brewer, who attended the ceremony with her three daughters. All three girls were dressed in yellow, one of the colors in the sheriffs’ uniforms.
“If they are brave enough to put the uniform on, you have to be brave enough to let them,” she said.
The service began with Mass at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Joliet, followed by a procession to the memorial on the courthouse lawn.
After Crest Hill police Chief Edward Clark read each name, a wreath was laid, 21 guns rang out in a salute and taps was played.
Guest speaker Judge Mary K. O’Brien, of the 3rd District Appellate Court, called on the crowd to never forget the sacrifices their families also have made.
“Remembering is not enough. We must teach respect and honor for those who are willing to lay down their lives for others,” she said.
Brooke Brewer, a former Joliet City Council member, said she “could not ask for more support” from the city, state and Will County.
“We’ve had nothing but love and blessings. Sheriff (Mike) Kelley has been there every step of the way,” she said.
She said members of her late husband’s emergency response team and other members of the sheriff’s department also have lent support to her and her daughters. Many of whom greeted Brewer with a heartfelt hug.
“My girls know them all,” Brooke Brewer said.
Among the 35 names on the stone memorial are nine officers who served at the state correctional center, eight from the Joliet Police Department, five each from the Will County sheriff’s department and Illinois State Police, two each from the Lockport and Crest Hill police, and one each from Frankfort police, the Illinois Conservation Police, the Illinois Youth Center and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
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