OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL
MAYOR
March 18,2015
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith a congratulatory resolution concerning the Chicago Police Department.
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
Mayor
Very truly yours,
\ < ■
H resolution
adopted by ^Tie Gltlj QoUHCll
of ^ Qity of Qhicago, Illinois
^Jresented by MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL Qn MARCH 18, 2015
BY6&S, On the frigid afternoon of January 18, 2015, Chicago Police Officer Wadell Hardy III, Star #12385, responded to a marine distress call on the shore of Oak Street Beach. A citizen in a nearby high rise had observed a man strip down to his shorts and jump into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan; and
WHEREAS, It suddenly became clear that the man's plunge into the icy waters had gone terribly wrong. He began to struggle, unable to pull himself back to safety on the Ice; and
WHEREAS, Officer Hardy rushed to the scene, rapidly following directions to where the victim had left his clothes; and
WHEREAS, Knowing that under these conditions, mere seconds can make the difference between life and death, Officer Hardy disregarded his own safety and walked out onto the ice in search of the drowning man; and
WHEREAS, At long last, the man responded to Officer Hardy's calls, shouting that he was quickly losing his grip on the ice. With the Police and Fire Department Marine Units still en route, Officer Hardy knew he had to take immediate action; and
WHEREAS, Stretching himself out on the slick surface, Officer Hardy dug himself into the ice as best he could and reached out to grab the victim; and
WHEREAS, Even though it was too dangerous to try to pull the man completely from the water, Officer Hardy held on to the man until help arrived, while ensuring that he, too, did not get pulled into the lake; and
WHEREAS, The Police and Fire Marine Units arrived soon thereafter. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of Officer Hardy, a Police Marine Unit officer, and a Fire Marine Unit diver, the victim was pulled safely back onto dry land; and
WHEREAS, Once the victim was out of the water, Fire Department personnel stabilized his body temperature and took him to the hospital to be treated for exposure; and
WHEREAS, Officer Hardy acted decisively, courageously and professionally to rescue a man in desperate need of help. If not for his willingness to put the safety of others before his own, the life of a Chicago resident might have ended tragically that Sunday afternoon; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this eighteenth day of March, 2015, do hereby honor Chicago Police Officer Wadell Hardy III, for his devotion to duty and resolute display of bravery in the face of danger; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Police Officer Wadell Hardy III, and placed on permanent record in his personnel file, as a token of our gratitude and esteem.