Fallen Trooper Carns Among 38 To Be Honored At Will County Law Enforcement Memorial Day

JOLIET, IL — Fallen law enforcement officers from across Will County will again be honored this year, at the 44th annual Law Enforcement Memorial Day set for Thursday, May 8.

Sponsored by the Police Chiefs Association of Will County, the event will include a memorial Mass and procession to the Memorial Wall, where the 38 names of fallen officers have been etched in remembrance.

Beloved Orland Park man and fallen State Trooper Clay Carns has been added this year, after he was struck and killed by a passing vehicle on I-55 near Channahon while clearing debris from the highway, on Dec. 23, 2024. Trooper Carns was an 11-year veteran of the Illinois State Police and is survived by his wife, two children, and parents.

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This year’s ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. with Mass at St. Mary Magdalene Church, 201 S Briggs St. in Joliet, followed immediately by a procession to, and service at, the Memorial Wall on the lawn of the old Will County Courthouse.

The engraved names represent 10 from the Illinois Department of Corrections, eight from the Joliet Police Department, six from the Will County Sheriff’s Department, six from the Illinois State Police, two from the Lockport Police Department and the Crest Hill Police Department, one from each the Frankfort Police Department, the Illinois Conservation Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Will County Probation Department.

The Association will remember and honor these 38 law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, according to a release. They would like to also recognize the sacrifices of their families, friends, and fellow officers who still miss them and honor their heroic memories.

The memorial is open to the public and all are welcome and invited to attend.

“It is an honor that I can participate in hosting this year's memorial, and am humbled to be part of honoring the sacrifices of officers throughout our region," said Robert Dykstra, president of the Police Chiefs Association of Will County

"We often promise to never forget the sacrifices made and lives lost, and this is an opportunity to show that to our citizens, fellow officers, and the loved ones of our officers."