16-05-2025
East Peoria Police honor fallen officer nearly a century after his death
EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The East Peoria Police Department memorialized a fallen officer nearly a century after his death while recognizing current members of the department at the Festival Building on Thursday.
40-year-old Henry Kounse was shot and killed by a felony suspect while in the line of duty on Feb. 10, 1931, and he is the only East Peoria police officer to ever die while on the job.
The memorial service featured bagpipes and a presentation of flowers to his surviving family members. Police Chief David Catton and Mayor John Kahl were among the speakers.
After the ceremony, Catton said he hopes this serves as a reminder to the 50 officers currently employed by the department of the dangers of police work.
'They're out there every day doing it on the street and making arrests. But sometimes I think the safety part they forget about, and this just is that little extra reminder to really embody safety,' he said.
After the memorial was the department's yearly awards ceremony, where different officers were recognized for the efforts they made over the past year.
Catton said it's an opportunity to highlight the good work of his officers.
'We don't always get it right because we're human beings, but we do our best and it just gives that extra opportunity to really say thank you and to highlight some of their efforts that they did on a daily basis,' he said.
This week is National Police Week, and Catton asks the community to thank a police officer if they get a chance to do so.
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