A Peoria County sheriff’s deputy wounded in the line of duty is being recognized for the steady professionalism officials say helped contain a dangerous scene and bring a suspect into custody.
Peoria County Sheriff’s Deputy Jack Evans was presented with the Hometown Hero Award by Acting U.S. Attorney Greg Gilmore, according to local Peoria reporting citing the sheriff’s office.
The award followed a traffic stop earlier this year in which Evans was shot and wounded in the line of duty. 104.9 The Wolf reported that officials credited Evans with courage, strength, and professionalism after the shooting.
According to that report, Evans maintained his composure after being wounded and relayed information that helped lead to containment of the scene and the eventual arrest of suspect Larry Bell. ThinBlueNews is not adding unsourced details about the case or the suspect beyond what was publicly reported.
The recognition came after Evans had already received the Police Valor and Gold Star Awards earlier this month. The outlet reported that Evans is continuing to recover and looks forward to returning to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
25 News Now also published video coverage of the Hometown Hero Award being given to the Peoria County deputy on May 28.
For law-enforcement supporters, the story is a reminder that heroism can look like discipline under fire: staying calm enough to keep communicating, protecting the public-safety response, and surviving the long road back after a line-of-duty injury.
ThinBlueNews will update this story if additional official information becomes available.
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