WHEREAS, on the morning of March 7, 2019, a shooting carried out by a lone gunman in the parking lot of an Extended Stay America hotel in Rockford claimed the life of McHenry County Sheriffs Police Deputy Jacob Keltner; and
WHEREAS, the Chicago City Council has been informed of his tragic death by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Jacob Keltner, a resident of Crystal Lake, and a twelve-and-a-half-year veteran assisting the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force attempted to serve an arrest warrant on the criminal suspect inside the hotel when shots rang out from a third-story window; and
WHEREAS, the shooter jumped from the window and fled, but was taken into custody in Logan County at 5:00 p.m. that same day; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Jacob Keltner, the loving husband of Becki Keltner, the father of two young children, Caleb and Carson, grew up in Villa Park, Illinois and attended St. John the Apostle School; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Jacob Keltner graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in Spanish and a minor in law enforcement and justice administration before entering the law enforcement profession; and
WHEREAS, Deputy Jacob Keltner, a respected friend and colleague to many, was instilled with a passion to serve the public; and
WHEREAS, in a moving tribute to her late husband, Becki Keltner wrote: "My husband was a 'cop's cop.' He loved everything about his job and looked forward to going to work every day. He was a true patriot who wanted to protect the people of this country" - a heart-felt sentiment shared by the people of Illinois from all walks of life; and
WHEREAS, this tragedy has touched the lives of many people; and
WHEREAS, in the State of Florida, a ten-year-old boy, hearing of this awful tragedy, honored the memory of Deputy Jacob Keltner by running one-mile run with the Blue Line Flag in hand; and
WHEREAS, the flag carried by Zechariah Cartledge has been sent to the Keltner family in remembrance; and
WHEREAS, Rockford Christian Hig...
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