Ogle County deputy shot in the line of duty released from OSF Medical Center

ROCKFORD – An Ogle County sheriff’s deputy was released from a Rockford hospital Friday night only two days after he was shot in the line of duty during a standoff with a rural Dixon resident at Lost Lake.

The injuries to Ogle County Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Ketter were described as resulting from being “struck in the face,” according to a news release from the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office. He underwent surgery Wednesday evening at OSF Medical Center in Rockford. Ketter walked out of OSF’s main entrance Friday night with his head held high as officers from multiple departments stood in salute.

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Lt. Jason Ketter is saluted as he leaves OSF Medical Center in Rockford on Friday, June 14, 2024. Ketter walked out with family and Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle. Ketter was shot in the line of duty two days earlier in Lost Nation, near Dixon. (Alex T. Paschal)

Ketter was escorted home about 7 p.m. by almost the entire Ogle County Sheriff’s Office’s fleet of vehicles.

The Polo Police Department, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Police Department, Machesney Park officers, La Salle County Sheriff’s Office, Boone County Sheriff’s Office and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office were among the many departments that came out to show their support.

Police were called Wednesday morning to the 400 block of Wild Rice Lane in Lost Lake, a rural subdivision east of Dixon, with a warning of a “suicide-by-cop” situation. After a three-hour standoff, three Ogle County deputies, including Ketter, as well as the home’s resident, Jonathon G. Gounaris, were shot when exchanging gunfire.

All three injured deputies are members of the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office’s Emergency Response Team. The ERT is made up of individuals from different agencies, including the sheriff’s office, Oregon and Byron police departments, and SWAT medics from the Rochelle Fire Department.

Sgt. Tad Dominski of the Oregon Police Department and Tyler Carls of the Rochelle Fire Department are the two other ERT members who were shot during the standoff. They were treated at KSB Hospital in Dixon and released later Wednesday evening, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said in an interview with Shaw Local.

“The risk is always the same, whether it’s a traffic stop or a barricade,” VanVickle said.

The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday was working on a critical incident debriefing and completing an internal review of all its processes to ensure that the department continues to function moving forward, VanVickle said.

“I would like to personally thank all law enforcement for their response to this incident and express my sincere gratitude to the multiple fire agencies, hospital staff, MD-1 physicians, flight crews and the general public for their overwhelming support during this very difficult time at the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office,” he said.