Bill Text: IL HJR0147 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates the section of 9th Street between the intersection of East Converse Street and East Ridgely Street in Springfield as the "Officer David Tapscott Memorial Street".
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-2)
Status: (Passed) 2017-01-10 - Adopted Both Houses [HJR0147 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-HJR0147-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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7 | WHEREAS, David Tapscott was injured and was transported to | ||||||
8 | St. John's Hospital by ambulance; and | ||||||
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10 | WHEREAS, On Wednesday evening at 6:31 p.m., December 26, | ||||||
11 | 1979, Officer David Tapscott passed away; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Officer David Tapscott was buried at Peter
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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
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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
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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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