Police Officers Receive Distinguished Duty Awards During Board Meeting

MOKENA, IL — The Village of Mokena Board of Trustees at its Monday meeting recognized three Mokena Police officers for their roles in helping track down an injured man and bring him back to safety.

Mokena Police officers Lawrence McKenna and Robert Henschel, and Mokena Police sergeant Robert Miller were presented the Distinguished Duty Award by Mokena Police Interim Chief Brian Benton.

The incident happened April 1. A man was driving in the area of 11700 block of West 187th Street when his vehicle hit a mailbox and the vehicle ended up in a ditch, Benton said.

A witness saw the driver get out of the vehicle and start heading north into a heavily wooded field toward Interstate 80, Benton said. Mokena police used a drone equipped with an infrared camera that had been purchased by MPD the previous year to find the man.

During the search, police learned that the man previously had sustained a traumatic brain injury and experienced "cognitive delays," Benton said.

Miller used the drone and its camera to spot the man, and McKenna and Henschel were guided into the brush to get him out, Benton said.

"The subject was found lying down, in the thicket, incoherent, with no recollection of the crash, and did not seem to be aware of what was happening," Benton said.

Benton added that temperatures that night were dropping down into the 30 degree range, so the officers may have even saved the man's life that night.

"I just want to say thanks for being recognized," McKenna said. "There are a lot of things that we do everyday that we could potentially get awards for, but we don't. So, this is nice to have recognition for this. We're just doing our job out here. That's really it."

Miller also expressed his gratitude for the recognition.

"This truly was a team effort utilizing the resources that the Village board has been gracious enough to allow us to purchase," Miller said.

In response to McKenna's statement, Trustee George Metanias offered some praise for the Mokena Police Department.

"You know, officer McKenna was right: You guys do a lot everyday. It's not that you don't get noticed by us, but you don't get recognized like you should," Metanias said. "I've always said I think we have the best policemen anywhere around. You guys do a fantastic job.

"If we don't give you enough credit, I apologize. You guys deserve all the credit in the world, especially in the world we're in right now where people are against policemen. We're 100 percent behind you, and we will do everything we can to make your lives easier with anything that you might need."

On a related note, the board approved by a vote of 5-0 Monday to enter into the contract with Henry Bros. in the amount of approximately $16 million for the construction of a new police station to be built at the corner of 191st Street and 104th Avenue. The board approved the base bid for the contract at its April 25 meeting.

The final development plan, however, left some wish-list items out, including a covered garage and a shooting range for Mokena police officers.

• Related: Village Of Mokena Moving Forward With New Police Station

Trustee Jim Richmond was absent from Monday's meeting, and Metanias was once again filling in as mayor pro tempore for Mokena Mayor Frank Fleischer, who has not been present at a board meeting since being hospitalized for a fall at his home Feb. 11 and undergoing a subsequent planned procedure.