Legislators honor Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, deputies for action at June 2024 Lost Lake shootings

OREGON – Two Illinois lawmakers honored four members of the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 30.

State Reps. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, who is the House Republican Leader, and Brad Fritts, R-Dixon, honored the officers and their department with an Illinois House resolution for bravery exhibited during a June 12 standoff at a rural Dixon home in Ogle County.

The resolution was presented to Lt. Jason Ketter, Deputy Tad Dominski, Deputy Tyler Carls and Sheriff Brian VanVickle.

“The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Leader McCombie and Rep. Fritts for their continued unwavering support of law enforcement and rural Illinois values,” said VanVickle.

The resolution was in response to the June incident where gunfire was exchanged between the Ogle County Emergency Response Team and Jonathon Gounaris, a Lost Lake resident.

In that incident, police were dispatched at 9 a.m. to Gounaris’ home at 402 Wild Rice Lane, with a warning that they could be facing a “suicide-by-cop” situation. The sheriff’s office activated the ERT, which is made up of individuals from different agencies that include the sheriff’s office, Oregon and Byron police departments and SWAT medics from the Rochelle Fire Department.

During the gunfire exchange with Gounaris, tactical medic Carls was struck twice in the body armor, Dominski suffered a gunshot wound to the upper arm and Ketter suffered a gunshot wound to the face.

Ketter was flown 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 also was 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 his arrest in June. He is charged with four counts of attempted first-degree murder and several weapons offenses. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

After the standoff, Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock requested the Illinois State Police conduct an investigation into the Ogle County ERT’s use of force with a review of the investigation by Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley.

Hanley determined the deputies acted in accordance with the law because they only fired their weapons after being shot at by Gounaris. Hanley also determined that based on the amount of calls and texts sent to Gounaris prior to deputies attempting to the enter the home, he should have been aware that officers were outside of the home and that the officers acted reasonably and lawfully and that no criminal charges will be filed.

The ISP’s investigation included interviewing witnesses and reviewing police radio transmissions, in-car cameras, body cameras, private surveillance video, photographs of the scene, police reports and the results of forensic evaluations.

Under Illinois law, the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer is justifiable if force is threatened against a person, the person threatened is not the aggressor, the danger of harm is imminent, the force threatened is against the law, the person threatened must believe a danger exists, the use of force is necessary to avert the danger, the type and amount of force used is necessary and that these beliefs are necessary.

House Resolution 928 was approved Nov. 13. It states: “we congratulate the brave officers of the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office for their valiant actions on June 12, 2024 and honor Officers Dominski, Ketter, and Carls for their heroic sacrifice; and be it further resolved that suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Officers Dominski, Ketter, and Carls and the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office as an expression of our profound respect and gratitude.”

Gounaris remains held in the Winnebago County Jail in Rockford. His next court appearance at the Ogle County Judicial Center in Oregon is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Jan. 23.