Three Ogle County deputies injured in line of duty honored for their actions

OREGON — Three Ogle County deputies injured in the line of duty during a June shootout were honored Tuesday at the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office.

On the morning of June 12, police were called to 402 Wild Rice Lane in Lost Lake, a rural subdivision east of Dixon, with a warning of a “suicide-by-cop” situation.

During a gunfire exchange with the home’s resident, Jonathon Gounaris, tactical medic Tyler Carls of the Rochelle Fire Department was struck twice in the body armor, Sgt. Tad Dominski of the Oregon Police Department suffered a gunshot wound to the upper arm and Lt. Jason Ketter of the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office suffered a gunshot wound to the face.

That day, the sheriff’s office activated its Emergency Response Team. The ERT is made up of individuals from different agencies, which include the sheriff’s office, Oregon and Byron police departments, and SWAT medics from the Rochelle Fire Department.

Ketter was taken by air ambulance to OSF Medical Center in Rockford, where he underwent surgery and was released June 14. Dominski and Carls were treated at KSB Hospital in Dixon on June 12 and released later that evening.

Gounaris was also struck during the exchange and suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was treated at KSB before being booked into the Winnebago County Jail in Rockford, where he has remained since that day in June. He is charged with four counts of attempted first-degree murder and several weapons offenses.

At Tuesday’s presentation, Armor Research Company, a law enforcement equipment manufacturer based in Las Vegas, presented Dominski with a new shield to replace the one that took rounds during the June gunfire exchange and is no longer in service.

“Your bravery is commendable,” Armor Research Company CEO Kennith Hall told Dominski.

Hall also recognized the foresight that Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle had when purchasing six shields at an active shooter alerts conference in 2019, when the product was relatively new, he said.

The company’s Compact Response Shield was designed by retired police officer Jim Boydd. The shield is held by officers in front of them, against their forearm, and has brackets on both sides that act as a steady platform for shooting.

When purchasing the shields, VanVickle said they were appealing to the department because of how lightweight they are.

The sheriff’s office has another set of ballistic shields that each weigh about 40 pounds. ARC’s shields each weigh about 20 pounds, VanVickle said.

During the June shooting, the shields from ARC protected an Ogle County deputy from shots fired at close range and other deputies who were standing behind that officer, VanVickle said.

“That decision, years ago, made an impact and we have a product that really does work,” VanVickle said.

“In law enforcement sometimes we wait too long to get this safety equipment. We wait until a critical incident occurs,” Boydd said.

One benefit the sheriff’s office has always had is that it’s not afraid to spend money to protect its officers, VanVickle said.

All three of the deputies who were injured were present at the event Tuesday. The three, along with several other Ogle County deputies, were presented awards and ARC product discounts in honor of their actions on June 12.

“There’s a lot of bad stuff out there about law enforcement. When we do the good things it’s important that those are celebrated,” VanVickle said.

Carls and Dominski have recovered from their injuries and have returned to work. Dominski, a former sergeant at the Oregon Police Department, was sworn in as a deputy at the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 5, VanVickle said in an interview with Shaw Local.

Ketter underwent another surgery on his jaw about a week ago. He hasn’t returned to work yet, but he is doing well, VanVickle said.

In terms of mental health support, the department has provided its deputies with “whatever they need,” VanVickle said.

Tuesday’s event was a small piece of that support.

“After a situation like this happens, it’s important to have our people come back here and talk about what happened,” VanVickle said.

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Armor Research Company CEO Ken Hall presents Ogle County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Tad Dominski with a new shield Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, at the sheriff’s office in Oregon. Dominski’s shield was damaged by gunfire June 12 in Lost Lake. (Alex T. Paschal)