SNS - Next Monday evening at Dodds Park in Champaign, as the sun begins to dip over the trees, the names of two Illinois State Police troopers — Corey Thompsen and Todd Hanneken — will be spoken aloud. Their families will be there. So will fellow officers, union leaders, and members of the community. And for a few solemn minutes, the city will pause to remember not just two men, but two lives of service — and sacrifice.
Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks
Corey, a long distance running specialist at St. Joseph-Ogden High School, runs in the 2014 SJO 5K after graduating months earlier. Thompson, who later became an Illinois State Police Officer, died while on duty during a traffic detail north of Urbana last October. He and another fallen officer will be honored in a ceremony at Dodds Park on Monday.
The Workers Memorial Day ceremony, hosted annually by the AFL-CIO of Champaign County and the East Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council, aims to spotlight those who lost their lives on the job. This year, Troopers Thompsen and Hanneken take center focus.
Thompsen, 28, was killed in October 2024 when his motorcycle was struck by a truck near Leverett Road, north of Champaign. He was wrapping up a traffic enforcement detail at the time. A St. Joseph native, Thompsen was known among colleagues for his drive and camaraderie. His loss shook the Illinois State Police to its core.
“This is a sad moment. We are hurting,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Corey’s family is hurting badly today. This is the first, and I hope the last, trooper who I personally administered the oath of an ISP officer to that I’ve lost in a line-of-duty death.”
Trooper Todd Hanneken, 45, died in 2021 when his patrol car left the road and crashed west of Champaign. He was a 20-year veteran of the force and a second-generation state trooper. Colleagues remember him not only for his dedication, but his warmth — the kind of officer who could calm a tense situation with just his presence. In 2018, Hanneken was awarded the ISP Medal of Honor for rescuing a man from a burning car.
He leaves behind a wife, Shelley, and two sons, Ben and Nick. Thompsen is survived by his wife Chelsea, his parents, and brothers.
“Both officers made the ultimate sacrifice while serving and protecting our community,” said Matt Kelly, president of the local AFL-CIO. “We appreciate their bravery and selflessness and are eternally grateful for their service.”
The ceremony, set for 5 p.m. at Dodds Park, is one of hundreds being held nationwide. Workers Memorial Day began in the wake of the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act — a landmark law pushed through after years of labor advocacy. Its message was simple: Every worker deserves to come home.
But the fight isn’t over. In 2023 alone, more than 5,200 workers died from job-related injuries across the U.S. Thousands more face daily risks due to unsafe working conditions. Union leaders point to underfunded safety agencies and rollbacks in labor protections as major concerns.
In East Central Illinois, labor groups are reviving the memorial’s importance. The Building and Construction Trades Council recently took over stewardship of the Danville monument, working to ensure it remains a place for remembrance — and resolve.
Because for the people gathering Monday, remembrance is just part of it. The other part is a promise: that men like Corey Thompsen and Todd Hanneken are never forgotten — and that no job should cost a life.
One State Representative believes the Governor’s pattern of decisions surrounding the state’s prison system is a threat to public safety in Illinois. State Representative Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who has recently made headlines by way of two lawsuits in Clay County aimed at the state's top leader, isn't happy with a couple of decision made Governor JB Pritzker about the state's prison population.
"The latest decision by the Governor to release one of the inmates involved in the murder of Illinois State Trooper
Layton Davis is appalling," said Bailey (R-Xenia) in a statement delivered to the media. "I was with the Davis family on August 10 when they publicly pleaded with Gov. Pritzker not to release convicted killers James E. Taylor and Aaron Hyche.
Taylor and Hyche were in a vehicle when Davis, who was with Illinois State police for 19 years and assigned to District 12, performed a routine traffic stop for speeding on Interstate-57 near Effingham. An arrest warrant for Taylor had been issued in Cook County after he failed to appear for sentencing on convictions for attempt murder and attempt armed robbery.
Upon learning of the outstanding warrant, Davis attempted to take both men into custody. During his pat-down with the two passengers, the WWII veteran discovered at firearm tucked into Hyche's waistband. A struggle ensued resulting in Davis' death after he was wounded three times.
The pair were later captured, tried and sentenced to life.
Earlier this month, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board paroled Taylor with eight members in favor and five against. Eight is the minimum number of votes needed for parole. Due to firing the fatal shots, the board rejected Hyche's request with 11 members voting against him and two in favor.
"While only Taylor has been released at this time, I wonder how long before Hyche will be set free?" Bailey said. He added: "Davis lost his life that day protecting the people of Illinois, and his wife and three children were left without a husband and father. Taylor and Hyche were given sentences commensurate with their heinous act. They should complete those sentences in full. The Davis family isn’t getting a reprieve from their life-long pain and loss."
Bailey, who has sued Pritzker and his administration in his home district over the Governor's use of Executive Orders during the pandemic the five months, also takes issue with the Governor for other decisions involving prison inmates.
Bailey stated in his release that "Pritzker has okayed the release of more than 4,000 inmates since March 1", citing a report from WAND-TV as well as the Alton Telegraph.
However, according to Restore Justice, only 1,222 prisoners were released due concerns over the rising level of COVID-19 infections in the Illinois prisons. As of June 1, IDOC has released 5,637 individuals with majority of them serving the entire sentence.
While an Appellate Court recently ruling that Pritzker indeed has the ultimate power to set policy regarding inmate transfers, another point of contention from Bailey is the lack of cooperation and consideration for the safety of local communities. He said level has been "unacceptable".
He also takes to task a Pritzker directive ordering sheriffs not to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when illegal immigrants completed their felony prison sentences and were being released. Criticized by the Illinois Sheriffs Association, the organization made it clear the Governor's policies are making their communities less safe.
"Sadly, the Illinois Sheriffs Association has had their hands full, not just trying to protect the people whose safety is
their primary responsibility, but also because they’ve had to battle the Governor on policies that harm public safety,"
said Bailey. "Pritzker is also being sued by the Sheriffs Association because of the state’s failure to take custody of
inmates, currently in local jails, but who received state prison sentences."
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