Palos Heights Police Chief William Czajkowski congratulates officers Grady Connell and Jake Wiegrand after they received a life-saving award. (Photo by Nuha Abdessalam)
Palos Heights police officers cited for saving resident
By Nuha Abdessalam
Palos Heights Mayor Robert Straz, city council members, and Police Chief William Czajkowski recognized Officers Grady Connell and Jake Wiegrand for their exceptional performance and duty.
Their swift and decisive actions, a testament to their professionalism, resulted in a life-saving award.
At the July 16 Palos Heights City Council meeting, Czajkowski recounted Connell and Wiegrand’s brave actions in June, which saved a life.
“Both officers, Connell and Wiegrand, were dispatched to a residence with an individual who was suffering a mental health crisis and self-inflicted severe injury,” Czajkowski said. “Both officers learned the individual was lying in the yard after putting their arm through a glass window.” After assessing the situation, both officers swiftly recognized the need for immediate medical care and, without hesitation, applied pressure to the wound. When this proved insufficient, they demonstrated remarkable adaptability by applying a tourniquet to the victim’s arm to stop the bleeding.
“It’s crucial to recognize the officers’ quick thinking and adaptability in a crisis,” the chief said. “Their field trauma tactics, as credited by the treating emergency physician, were instrumental in saving the subject’s life. Tonight, we applaud their unwavering commitment to Palos Heights’s citizens.”
In other news, the city council approved a $2 million bond through TEFRA (Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act) for Trinity College.
The bonds will be used to refinance existing ones, which were initially used to improve the campus with several projects over 20 years, and additional capital improvement funds for the college. Straz said the city would have no obligation regarding legal liability.
Council members approved the Palos Heights Recreation Department’s payment to Williams Architects for $7,473 for phase one of the city’s pool project.
Construction on the west side of Harlem Avenue will also be underway. The purpose is to refresh roadway striping, which will cost at most $15,000.
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