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

ROCKFORD – An Ogle County sheriff's deputy was released from a Rockford hospital Friday evening just two days after he was shot in the line of duty during a confrontation with a rural Dixon resident in Lost Lake.

Ogle County Sheriff's Lt. Jason Ketter's injuries were described as resulting from a “blow to the face,” according to a news release from the Ogle County Sheriff's Office. He had surgery Wednesday evening at OSF Medical Center in Rockford. Ketter walked out of OSF's main entrance Friday evening with his head held high as officers from several departments saluted him.

Ketter was escorted home around 7 p.m. by nearly the entire Ogle County Sheriff's Office 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 Bureau DeKalb County Sheriff's Department 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, along with the home's resident, Jonathon G. Gounaris, were shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire.

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

The other two ERT members who were shot 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 was working on a critical incident report Saturday and completing an internal review of all of its processes to ensure the department continues to operate in the future, 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 firefighters, hospital personnel, MD-1 medics, flight crews and the general public for their overwhelming support during this very difficult time at the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office,” he said.