Full Text of HJR0147 99th General Assembly
HJ0147 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, It is appropriate for us to remember the many | 3 | | sacrifices and contributions to the betterment
of Illinois made | 4 | | by the outstanding men and women who have served in law | 5 | | enforcement; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The Springfield Police Department was formed in | 7 | | 1840; since that time, ten officers have
been killed in the | 8 | | line of duty, including David R. Tapscott, who died on December | 9 | | 26, 1979; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, David Tapscott was born in Liberty, Kentucky in | 11 | | 1951 to George and Nettie Tapscott; he had four brothers and | 12 | | three sisters; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, David Tapscott's family moved to Pleasant Plains, | 14 | | where he graduated from
high school in 1969; while in high | 15 | | school, he excelled in basketball and track; after
graduation, | 16 | | he worked at his brother's garage and attended Lincoln Land | 17 | | Community
College; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, At the age of 23, David Tapscott took the police | 19 | | department civil service exam, and
in 1974, he became a proud | 20 | | member of the Springfield Police Department; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, David Tapscott loved his profession and he | 2 | | excelled at his work; he exemplified the true
meaning of a | 3 | | dedicated police officer; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, David Tapscott graciously and compassionately | 5 | | served the citizens of Springfield; he was
well-liked by his | 6 | | fellow officers as well as the public; he worked the Second | 7 | | Watch during which he
enjoyed driving the prisoner transport | 8 | | van; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24, 1979 was a | 10 | | cold, wet, rainy evening; David Tapscott planned on
spending | 11 | | Christmas Day at his mother's home before heading to work; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Around 10:00 p.m. that night, David Tapscott | 13 | | responded without hesitation to a disturbance call
at a north | 14 | | end Springfield tavern; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, David Tapscott proceeded north on 9th Street | 16 | | behind a sheriff's deputy who was also responding to
the call; | 17 | | he crossed Converse Street and headed down the hill toward the | 18 | | 9th
Street railroad underpass; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, The deputy in front of David Tapscott drove left | 20 | | of the center barrier to get around a vehicle on
the right; | 21 | | David Tapscott began to follow, then realized the vehicle had |
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| 1 | | stopped allowing him time to pass it and pull back into the | 2 | | right northbound lane; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, The lightweight prisoner transport van did not | 4 | | maneuver
as well on wet surfaces and as David Tapscott | 5 | | approached the viaduct he was unable to move quickly enough to | 6 | | his right before hitting the
center barrier head on; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, David Tapscott was injured and was transported to | 8 | | St. John's Hospital by ambulance; and | 9 | | | 10 | | WHEREAS, On Wednesday evening at 6:31 p.m., December 26, | 11 | | 1979, Officer David Tapscott passed away; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Officer David Tapscott was buried at Peter
| 13 | | Cartwright Cemetery in Pleasant Plains on Saturday December 29, | 14 | | 1979; the police van number, LSS
was retired after the accident | 15 | | and has not been used since; he was mourned by the entire | 16 | | community, even those who had never met him; therefore, be it
| 17 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 18 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 19 | | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the section of 9th | 20 | | Street
between the intersection of East Converse Street and | 21 | | East Ridgely Street in Springfield as the "Officer
David | 22 | | Tapscott Memorial Street"; and be it further |
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | 2 | | is requested to erect at suitable locations,
consistent with | 3 | | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | 4 | | giving notice of the name "Officer David Tapscott Memorial | 5 | | Street"; and be it further
| 6 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 7 | | presented to the family of Officer David Tapscott,
the | 8 | | Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation, the | 9 | | Springfield Police Department, and the
Mayor of Springfield.
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