Almost three weeks after being shot when a traffic pursuit turned violent, Chapin's police chief is home again.
Steven Helmich, 39, of Jacksonville was shot twice March 26 as he and other officers approached a car that had crashed. The driver had fled a traffic stop in Meredosia and led them on a high-speed chase through three counties.
Helmich, who has been with Chapin police since 2016 and its chief since January, was hit in his abdomen and upper left thigh. His injuries were severe. The three other officers at the scene provided emergency treatment until an air ambulance arrived and he was flown to a trauma-care hospital in critical condition.
According to details provided by Chapin Police, Helmich required three emergency surgeries because of the shooting. Despite his release Thursday after 19 days at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, he will require several months' care through Memorial Health facilities in Springfield and Jacksonville.
"I give my deepest and most sincere thanks to the surgeons, doctors, nurses and other medical and administrative staff of Memorial Medical Center and SIU School of Medicine," he said after his release. "The team of medical providers who treated me numbers in the dozens, and yet they all remained synchronized and focused on saving my life and giving me the best possible chance at recovery. Because of the most excellent treatment team ... I am alive today. I thank God for each and every one of them."
Helmich credited what he said was life-saving aid provided by other officers that night: Meredosia Police Officer Steve Lowry, Pike County Sheriff's Deputy Skyler Lambeth and Brown County Sheriff's Deputy Rusty Richard.
Their "tactical skills, quick thinking and calm, deliberate demeanor ... directly contributed to my safety and survival," Helmich said. "I personally thanked each one of them during (a) visit to my hospital room. I thank God for their presence during the incident and I could not have asked for a better team of officers to work with that night."
Illinois State Police are continuing the investigation into the events that started with an attempted traffic stop in Meredosia. The driver fled and led officers from multiple law enforcement agencies through Morgan County into Pike County and then into Brown County, where the driver crashed on Illinois Route 107, north of County Road 410 North, according to police reports.
As officers approached the disabled vehicle, the driver fired on them, according to state police. Officers returned fire and the driver surrendered.
Daniel B. Payne, 29, of Greenbrier, Tennessee, was treated for injuries suffered in the crash and then charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer. He was being held in Schuyler County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail. Payne is scheduled to appear Wednesday in Brown County court for a preliminary hearing.
Helmich will return to his police duties soon and will be assisted by Sgt. Brad Rogers during his rehabilitation.
"I am sincerely grateful for all the members of the Chapin Police Department. Our team of dedicated law enforcement professionals have stepped up to assist me in ensuring that the village continues to receive uninterrupted police services during this turbulent time," he said. "I also thank the village board and the citizens of Chapin for the outpouring of support and prayers I received after my injuries and during my hospitalization."
Especially memorable, Helmich said, was the assistance and care he and his family received from groups and organizations — among them the Fraternal Order of Police and Springfield Police Department.
"I cannot find the words to express enough gratitude to the FOP Lodge 125 and the FOP State Lodge, as well as members of the Springfield Police Department," he said. "The local and state FOP each donated money to my family to assist with unexpected expenses in the days after my injuries, and members of the Springfield Police Department rented a hotel room for my family members to remain close to Memorial Medical Center during the first few days of my hospitalization, when my prognosis was not good. These generous gestures went above and beyond anything I could have imagined and demonstrate the true brotherhood and sisterhood of the law enforcement community in Illinois."
Helmich said he was forever grateful for the kindness and empathy shown to him and his family.
"There are other organizations and individuals who have made donations that I am not currently aware of and I will thank all of them when I am able to determine everything we received during my hospitalization," Helmich said.
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