HJ0077 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0077 LRB101 12445 MST 60580 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, It is important to remember and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to the State Of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Illinois State Police Trooper Marvin C. Archer, a World War II veteran, was killed in a gunfight on June 18, 1946 while attempting to apprehend two vehicle thieves at the intersection of Illinois Routes 6 and 9 near Paxton; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Archer and his partner, Vernon Harper, spotted the stolen vehicle and initiated a traffic stop; the two suspects opened fire, and both officers took cover and returned fire; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Archer was shot and died on the scene; and

WHEREAS, One of the suspects re-entered a vehicle and led Illinois and Indiana state police on a pursuit; he changed vehicles two more times before Illinois troopers found him approximately three hours later inside a parked vehicle near Champaign; three troopers opened fire and fatally shot the suspect multiple times; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Archer served two years with the Illinois State Police and then two years as a combat engineer in the Pacific during World War II; he returned to his state police duties six months before his death; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois State Police have saved countless lives by protecting the citizens of Illinois though law enforcement and patrolling the roadways of our State; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Archer is an example of the dedication and sacrifice of the Illinois State Police, and it is fitting we remember his sacrifice; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the section of Illinois Route 9 between South Washington Street and High Street in Paxton as the "Trooper Marvin C. Archer Memorial Road"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs giving notice of the name "Trooper Marvin C. Archer Memorial Road"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Trooper Archer and the Secretary of Transportation.