Kane County sheriff’s officers received recognition Tuesday (Dec. 20, 2019) for acts of kindness, professionalism and heroism they performed in 2019.

In a presentation to the Kane County Board, Sheriff Ron Hain recognized 12 Sheriff’s Office employees, calling each forward as he read a short summary of their actions.

“Our sworn staff members walk a thin blue line and risk their lives every day to ensure the safety of our citizens,” he said. “And this is a perfect time of year to reflect and celebrate them.”

Deputy Chris Salava was recognized for his work in two separate residential break-ins, where he was able to locate suspects and take them into custody.

Deputy Daniel Gregory assisted with one of those apprehensions. Deputies Jeffrey Bodin, Matthew Schultz, and Alfred Vidrio were commended for helping Salava with the second arrest.

Hain said Schultz “took exemplary action and showed calmness and restraint” during the attempted stop of a suspected DUI driver, who fled from him at a high rate of speed and was ultimately killed moments later in a fatal crash.

Corrections Officer Francisco Ibarra was honored for preventing an inmate escape by acting quickly when he received information from a confidential informant that a detainee was planning the attempt during a hospital transport.

Court Security Officer Jon Irizarry was commended for intervening when he observed an inmate in the courthouse holding area restraining an attorney against a wall. Irizarry was able to pull the inmate away, allowing the attorney to escape, then was able to subdue the detainee after a struggle.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Phil Schuring and Deputy Terry Hoffman were commended for taking the initiative to locate two residential burglary suspects and taking them into custody after searching their vehicle and locating numerous stolen items from homes across Kane County.

Several stolen firearms were also recovered.

Deputy Andy Ortiz was recognized for his arrest of a man during a routine traffic stop in Aurora, after the man was found in possession of a loaded handgun and wearing a bullet-proof vest.

Hain said Ortiz’ interdiction of a criminal in travel prevented a violent act from occurring.

Deputy Luke Weston was honored for locating three armed suspects after a robbery in Hampshire while on patrol in Carpentersville. Though the men were all brandishing weapons, Weston was able to subdue them without the use of lethal force.

Hain recognized Deputy Jerry Krawczyk for “his heroic actions on the recent cold Thanksgiving morning,” after he dove into a retention pond to rescue a driver from her sinking vehicle after she was involved in a crash on the roadway and the vehicle veered off into the water.

SOURCE: Kane County Sheriff’s Office news release