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Morton Police Department recognizes officers and civilians for life‑saving and investigative actions
Summary
At its May 19 meeting the Village of Morton Board heard presentations from the police chief recognizing multiple officers, dispatchers and a civilian for life‑saving care, swift investigative work on a swatting call, and other commendable actions earlier this year.
The Village of Morton Board of Trustees on May 19 heard presentations from the Morton Police Department honoring officers, dispatchers and at least one civilian for lifesaving aid and investigative work.
The presentations opened with the department’s “exemplary citizen” award to Serena Hope Gambrell for rendering immediate medical care at the scene of a July 17, 2024 motorcycle crash on Route 98 and Lampy Road, including using a belt as a tourniquet and her shirt to apply pressure. The police chief said Gambrell’s “prompt and skilled administration of critical medical aid … was instrumental in stabilizing the victim whose life was ultimately saved.”
The board also commended Detective Drew Thompson of the Pekin Police Department for work on an August 8, 2024 swatting call reporting an active shooter at Morton Junior High School. The chief said Thompson “took it upon yourself to research the call,” identified a similar call in another jurisdiction tied to the same phone number and helped classify the Morton call as a swatting incident that “helped avoid the unnecessary deployment of resources.”
Tazewell County dispatcher Rebecca Jergens received a letter of commendation for her work on an August 9, 2024 call concerning an active shooter at Morton Junior High School; the chief told the board that Jergens quickly extracted “the caller’s name, phone number, vehicle, clothing description, and precise location” and relayed the information to responding units. The department also presented life saving awards and letters of commendation to multiple officers for separate incidents earlier in 2024, citing application of tourniquets and rapid scene control in volatile situations.
The presentations were delivered by the chief of police during the board’s presentations segment; the awards recognized specific dates and actions recounted by the chief in open session. No formal board action was required or taken on the awards during the meeting.
