Community pays respects to fallen ISP Trooper during visitation

ST. JOSEPH, Ill. (WAND) — The community surrounding St. Joseph paid their respects today to an Illinois State Police trooper who was killed in a line of duty crash on Oct. 18.

Trooper Corey Thompsen, 28, was hit by a driver on East Leverett Road while on duty. He was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, but he died from his injuries that afternoon.

A statement released by Thompsen's family said that he has always been a hero to them and that they "could never begin to thank law enforcement or the thousands from our community who have reached out to us to express their love and support."

Thompsen's visitation was on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m., at St. Joseph-Ogden High School with a First Responder walk through at 5 pm.

During the visitation, Illinois State Police Director, Brendan Kelly said of the heartbreaking time, "When you have the love from a community like we're seeing here, not just locally but across the state coming to, to help out and to get us through this tough time. It's very much appreciated. And it really does make a difference."

More than 100 Police Officers, Sheriff's Deputies, and first responders came from Iowa, New York, and Missouri to honor fallen Trooper Corey Thompsen.

Kelly said processing the grief is hard for those closest to Thompsen, "They're they're trying to process it. It is a a scar and pain that they will have with them the rest of their careers and their lives. They lost someone that was, near and dear to them. They're never going to forget that."

Kelly first met Thompsen when he was in the academy and saw him become an Illinois State Trooper.

"I had the privilege of, swearing him in, when he became a trooper. And, he's just had a great career. Since then and really just, someone who loved the job of being in the Illinois State Police."

In lieu of flowers, his family has requested that donations be made to a memorial fund set up as the Trooper Corey S. Thompsen Scholarship fund at any University of Illinois Credit Union branch. This will provide a scholarship to St. Joseph-Ogden High School students entering the field of criminal justice.

Thompsen's funeral will be held Sunday, at 1 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church in Champaign. The burial will be in Patterson Cemetery, St. Joseph.

The route for the procession can be seen in the image below.