Crime & Safety

Hundreds of Police Pay Tribute to Fallen State Trooper

Law enforcement from across the state and country came to Palos Heights to honor Trooper James Sauter, who died while on duty near the Northbrook-Glenview border last week. Sauter's brother Matthew described him as a "second father."

 

Updated, 12:00 a.m.

Matthew Sauter decided not to wear a tie to his brother James’ funeral on Tuesday.

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While speaking in front of family, friends and hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the country, all at Moraine Valley Church in Palos Heights to honor Illinois State Trooper James Sauter, Matthew opened his collar to show a Superman tshirt in dedication to his brother.

“He was known for being compassionate to others with a deep sense of integrity and honesty,” said Pastor Bill Sheridan. “Some called him teacher, hero, or a big brother, with big broad shoulders, and we mean that literally.”

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Matthew Sauter looked up to his brother, even though at times James was strict with him.

“He always tried to be a second father to me,” Matthew Sauter said. “I came to realize later in life that he made mistakes too and he wanted to keep me from doing the same as he did.”

James Sauter, 28, died early Friday morning when his patrol car was struck by a semi trailer near the Northbrook-Glenview border. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, parents Donald and Eileen, his brother Matthew and several relatives.

Matthew described the tremendous impact James had on his life during the memorial service.

“He’s the one who taught me to be humble and be thankful for what I have,” Matthew said. “If it wasn’t for my big brother there’s no telling where I’d be right now or what I’d be doing.”

Patti Duffin, James Sauter’s aunt, told stories about how he helped her daughters while going trick-or-treating on Halloween and during fishing outings.

“Jim would spend most of his fishing hours baiting hooks, untangling fishing lines, casting and releasing the various ‘fish’ they caught, such as turtles, sea weed and the ever-popular tree limbs,” Duffin said. “His patience on those fishing outings was relentless.”

Duffin also described an idea James had for him and her daughters to collect more candy on Halloween after gathering a slim amount. They switched Halloween costumes and went to the same houses, she said.

“Jim had to be in touch with his feminine side to wear Erin’s Wonder Woman costume,” Duffin said.

Continuing with the more humorous side of Sauter’s past, brother-in-law Tony Ferraro described a music video James had recently made of him singing the Ace of Base song “The Sign” while in his squad car.

 “You certainly wouldn’t think it when you met this big hulk of a man, but James was really a big goof ball,” Ferraro said.

While gathering photos of Sauter, Ferraro said they noticed many pictures with James making a funny face.

Pastor Scott Bradley, who first met James in 1998 while working as a youth minister, retold a conversation he had with James when he experienced a “close call” on the job.

“He said he wasn’t scared to put on the uniform, he wasn’t scared to get in the car, he wasn’t scared to do his responsibilities,” Bradley said. “He said ‘I’m afraid if next time, if that’s it, did my life matter?’ That’s how he lived. He was afraid he might not be doing enough for other people. Jimmy Sauter’s life meant something. He did make a difference.”

Illinois State Police Hiram Grau gave an example of Sauter’s impact, when he saved a woman’s life after finding her bleeding severely after a motorcycle accident.

“He was a peaceful warrior with a kind heart and soul,” Grau said. “We are all strengthened by the virtue of his honor and dedication. May we all go forward, and care for others the way you did.” 

Officers from 25 different states and all throughout Illinois, stood in rank outside the church as the Bagpiper and Drums of the Emerald Society Chicago Police Department played, a plane and helicopter performed honor flyovers and a 21-gun salute was fired.

The American flag was wrapped carefully and tightly, before being looked over by three different Illinois State Police troopers and handed to Sauter’s family.

The last words spoken came from a dispatch radio, acknowledging that car 15101 took his final 1042 call, police code for ending a tour of duty.

View additional photos from the ceremony in our gallery.


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