3rd Annual Blood Drive Held In Crystal Lake In Memory Of Slain McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy

By Sam Borcia, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner:

The annual blood drive in memory of McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Keltner, who was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2019, was held Sunday in Crystal Lake.

The third annual blood drive began at 11 a.m. Sunday, which is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

It was held by the American Red Cross at the Sage YMCA of Metro Chicago, located at 701 Manor Road in Crystal Lake.

The family of Keltner who organized the blood drive said that 200 appointments were booked but walk-ins were accepted despite all appointments being booked.

The American Red Cross recently said they are currently experiencing “the worst blood shortage in over a decade” and urge people to donate blood.

Keltner, 35, was working as a Special Deputy for the U.S. Marshal Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force on March 7, 2019.

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The task force was attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Floyd E. Brown, of Springfield, who was staying at the Extended Stay America Hotel in Rockford.

When police knocked on the hotel room door where Brown was staying, he opened fire on the officers with a high-powered rifle.

Keltner, along with Brown’s girlfriend, who was in the hotel room with him, both sustained gunshot wounds.

Keltner was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Brown fled the scene in a vehicle after jumping out his hotel room window.

Illinois State Police and other police agencies chased Brown on Interstate 55 at speeds of over 100 mph until he came to a stop near Lincoln, Illinois after he ran over spike strips.

Brown is facing numerous federal charges, including killing a federal law enforcement officer.

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Keltner, who had almost 13 years of service with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, left behind his wife and two young children.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.