An Illinois State Police trooper whose action brought to an end a mass killing in Manchester is being honored for his heroics by the state House.
Trooper Brad Williams was on patrol near Manchester on April 24, 2013, when he spotted a vehicle matching the description of a man wanted in the shooting deaths of five family members, including two children, in a home in Manchester.
Williams pursued the vehicle and called other officers for assistance. The chase ended when Winchester Police Chief George Lindsey hit the fleeing vehicle with his car, but the driver stepped out with a shotgun. Williams tipped his motorcycle over, jumped off and drew his weapon just as Rick O'Dell Smith fired a shot at Lindsey.
"Trooper Williams' decisive action in identifying the vehicle and in acting in defense of fellow officers doubtlessly saved several lives," according to a resolution presented to Williams by state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer on Friday.
"The House of Representatives ... congratulate Trooper Brad Williams ... and thank him for his heroic service on April 24, 2013, and every other day that he wears the uniform of the Illinois State Police," the resolution reads.
Williams also was presented with a Medal of Honor during a ceremony at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield.
Williams, a trooper at the District 20 post at Pittsfield, was a finalist for the International Association of Chiefs of Police Trooper of the Year Award.
Copyright 2014 - Jacksonville Journal-Courier, Ill.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
