Ill. Police Officer Critically Wounded in Shooting a Deacade Ago Dies

An Illinois police officer who was critically wounded while responding to a break-in a decade ago died Wednesday.

Park Forest Police Det. Tim Jones, 34, was shot multiple times while taking an armed suspect into custody when he responded to a March 19, 2016, break-in, the city stated in a news release. He was struck in the neck and jaw and suffered life-threatening trauma that mean he was likely to only survive days, according to doctors.

But Jones survived those initial days, and he underwent extensive surgeries and years of rehabilitation. He inspired the slogan "Tim Strong" in the area, and it "quickly became a symbol of his fight and the community’s belief in him," the city stated.

“We were told he wouldn’t survive, but Tim had other plans," the department said in a statement on social media. "Day after day, year after year, he pushed through challenges most of us can’t imagine.”