By Josh Bootsma
LANSING, Ill. (February 4, 2022) – Four Lansing police officers were recognized at the February 1 Village Board meeting for their response to a December situation involving a man who had been shot.
A Life Saving Award was given to Sergeant Rob Garcia and Officers Justin VanKalker, Rudy Duran, and Kevin Meyer.
Lansing Police Chief Al Phillips explained that on December 29, 2021, LPD was called to the Riverwood Apartments for a victim that had been shot under his left eye, with an exit wound at the back of his neck.
“Officers used their gloved hands to put direct pressure on what they believed to be an arterial bleed squirting out the back of the victim’s neck,” Phillips said.
The victim was transported to a hospital and ultimately survived the attack.
“The officers remained calm in a highly stressful situation, and although none of them are EMTs or paramedics, they provided medical assistance to a severely injured subject. … Without the initial care of the officers on scene, the subject would most likely have lost his life,” Phillips said.
As Village Trustee Jerry Zeldenrust distributed the Life Saving Award certificates to the officers, Village officials and audience members rose in a round of applause.
The Lansing Police Department is located at 2710 170th Street.
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