Joliet, IL – The Joliet Police Department is honoring the memory of Patrolman Jeffrey P. Hopkins today, marking 50 years since his line-of-duty death on September 29, 1975.
According to the department, Patrolman Hopkins was fatally injured while providing a sanctioned funeral escort through Joliet. On September 23, 1975, he was riding a fully equipped police motorcycle when he stopped an individual who had interrupted the procession. After resuming his escort, Hopkins attempted to catch up with the cortege along Cass Street, just east of Garnsey Avenue.
Police said Hopkins was struck by another car, thrown from his motorcycle, and suffered severe head injuries despite wearing a helmet. The impact caused his motorcycle to overturn, and he never regained consciousness. Patrolman Hopkins died six days later on September 29, 1975.
The department noted that Hopkins was off-duty but in full uniform when he volunteered to assist with the funeral escort, which had been approved by both the City of Joliet and the Chief of Police at the time. His badge, #182, was permanently retired in his honor.
“Today, we remember the ultimate sacrifice made by Patrolman Jeffrey Hopkins,” the department wrote in a public statement. “His service and dedication to the Joliet community will never be forgotten.”
Hopkins’ name is also memorialized on the Officer Down Memorial Page, alongside other law enforcement officers across the nation who lost their lives in the line of duty.
