Law enforcement agencies and personnel from Jacksonville and Morgan County are being honoured for their peaceful resolution of an armed robbery and standoff in August.
The six members of the Jacksonville Police Special Response Team – Deputy Chief Chad Moore, Lt. Matt Martin, Patrolman Jarrett Davidson, Patrolman Josh Radliff, canine handler Sgt. Jordan Poeschel and the dog Aries – were presented with the Officer of the Year Award during the Central Illinois Policeman’s Ball this month.
The annual event is hosted by the Jacksonville Citizens Police Academy Alumni.
President Tom Cisne said the awards were given for the officers’ collective handling of an armed robbery and subsequent police standoff on August 7. Law enforcement officers took 53-year-old Edward A. Flowers into custody after a convenience store robbery ended with the suspect fleeing into an apartment building on West College Avenue and refusing to leave.
During the three-hour ordeal, the suspect occasionally stood in a window and pointed a handgun at officers before retreating back into the apartment. Despite the tense standoff, the suspect only suffered superficial injuries from a broken window and no one else was injured.
The Jacksonville Police Department, South Jacksonville Police Department, Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, West Central Dispatch, Jacksonville/Morgan County Office of Emergency Management and State’s Attorney Gray Noll also received the new Outstanding Service Award.
Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Matthew K. Barber and Polly Pulley received the Community Service Awards for officers and civilians, respectively.