Jaimie Cox, 30, was 'a loving officer,' respected by his peers

ROCKFORD — Police, friends and family are mourning the death of a 30-year-old Rockford police officer who died early Sunday after a scuffle with another man during a traffic stop.

Police said the officer, Jaimie Cox, 30, became entangled with the man's pickup truck during the scuffle and later died at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. The traffic stop occurred near East State Street and Dawn Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. The man in the truck, 49-year-old Eddie Patterson, also died.

Cox, a Hononegah High School graduate, joined the department in December 2016. He previously worked for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Law Enforcement Division and had served in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Police Chief Dan O'Shea said it is believed that Cox fired his weapon during the scuffle, but exactly how he and Patterson died is unclear. Police are releasing few details during the course of the investigation, which is being handled by the Winnebago-Boone County Integrity Task Force. The task force is made up of police agencies from Winnebago and Boone counties and is charged with probing officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths.

"As soon as we can release details of what happened, we will," O'Shea said. "I don't want to give information erroneously."

What is clear, police said, is that shortly after the traffic stop occurred, a brief radio transmission was made calling for assistance. Officers who responded found Cox and a single-vehicle crash at Unitarian Universalist Church, 4848 Turner St., about two blocks north of the initial stop. Patterson was found dead inside the truck, which had struck a tree on the church property.

Autopsies of both men are pending.

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Access to the church was blocked Sunday morning. Senior Minister Matthew Johnson said about 140 parishioners worshiped at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd on Rockton Avenue.

O'Shea said he and his officers are grieving Cox's death, and the outpouring of support from police agencies across the country is humbling. In social media posts on Facebook and Twitter, police departments in Chicago, McHenry County and many other places offered condolences to Cox's family and messages of solidarity with Rockford police.

“Pray for his wife, his family and us as we get through this difficult time,” O'Shea said.

A procession of police squads crawled through the early morning drizzle to escort Cox's body from OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center to the Winnebago County Coroner's Office. The line of blue-and-red flashing lights stretched down State Street as area law enforcement officers paid tribute to Cox.

Retired Rockford officer Aurelio DeLaRosa said Cox was a "loving officer" and was "respected by his peers."

"He was also a (military) veteran," DeLaRosa said. "So he encompassed that whole picture of a hero, someone who served his country and community."

Cox is the seventh Rockford police officer killed in the line of duty going back to 1917, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. The six other officers were killed by gunfire.

Police initially tweeted that they were on the scene of a shooting involving an officer, but O'Shea would not say whether Cox had been shot.

Mayor Tom McNamara called it the "worst day you can imagine."

"It shakes you to your core," said McNamara, who expressed his appreciation for the work officers do and the risks they take to protect the public. "On a day like today, it's crushing. The violent crime has to end. The total lack of regard and respect for our officers has to end."

O'Shea asked anyone with information to call police at 779-500-6551 or Rockford Area Crime Stoppers at 815-963-7867.

@RockfordPD on scene of a shooting involving an officer. Media staging directly west of Mobile gas station on Alpine and Turner.

— RockfordILPolice (@RockfordPD)November 5, 2017

Chris Green and Georgette Braun contributed to this story.

Kevin Haas: 815-987-1410; khaas@rrstar.com; @KevinMHaas

Kayli Plotner: 815-987-1391; kplotner@rrstar.com; @kayplot

Killed in the line of duty

Seven Rockford police officers have been killed in the line of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Officer Date

Jaimie Cox Nov. 5, 2017

Kevin Rice Aug. 3, 2001

Randall Blank Dec. 31, 1980

Charles Williams June 1, 1972

Arthur Bassett Sept. 22, 1927

Frank Cichella Feb. 25, 1927

Lorenzo Gillogly Oct. 12, 1917

Prayer vigil

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church, 4848 Turner St., Rockford

Purpose: "The church mourns with Officer Cox's family and the whole Rockford Police Department," said Matthew Johnson, senior minister. "We are heartbroken, and we are committed to our values to try to build world peace and justice without violence." The church grounds will be reconsecrated, Johnson said.

Condolences for Cox

"It is clear that Jaimie represented the very best of who we are as a community. He is a great example of what we need in our young people today – someone who grew up here, made a commitment to furthering his education, found his passion, and was committed to making his hometown a better place as an adult. There is no doubt he will be missed but his impressive track record of service to others will serve as an example for all of us to follow."

— Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney and Sheriff Gary Caruana on behalf of the County Board and Sheriff's Department

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Officer Jaimie Cox. He paid the ultimate price while working to keep our communities safe. My thoughts and prayers are with his family as they find a way to cope with this tragic loss.”

— Gov. Bruce Rauner

"Our thoughts & prayers go out to family & friends of @RockfordPD Officer Jaimie Cox, who was murdered at an early morning traffic stop today."

— Tweet from Chicago Police Department

Editor's note: The last name of officer Jaimie Cox has been corrected in a photo cutline of the tree where the crash occurred.