12/06/2025
What a blessed ending to one of the worst days I have had as the Mayor of Granite City. I watched my police officer and his family go through something that should NEVER happen in a civilized society. I thank God that our hero will survive.
I watched a blue wave roll through this city that sent a message to everyone that this criminals cowardly actions WOULD be met with consequences.
I saw the best of my fellow human beings who were pledging their support for our hero, offering food, offering information, and saying prayers.
I saw the worst in my fellow human beings who were on social media posting their pleasure in an officer down, and one special man who refused to stop live streaming our police as they were preparing to enter through a front door hoping to find this dangerous criminal but not knowing what waited behind that door. This special man didn't care that a dangerous person could be watching his live feed from behind that door and would have the ability to harm another officer knowing when and where they were entering. You sir need to understand that your right to do something should never outweigh the common sense of whether it is right to do something! I thank God today that your selfishness did not harm another officer.
I now pray that this criminal will see what justice looks like when you do such a cowardly act upon hero's who were only coming to help you.
I pray that our legislature finds a way to move back to the days that laws were in place to make it tough on criminals and not tougher on our heros. I pray we make laws that prohibit the actions of the special person described above who did not care about the safety of my officers. I pray that they realize that this event would not have happened if this coward had already been locked up.
Lastly, I pray, and ask all of you to pray, that when the injuries heal, so do my hero's minds. That our injured officer, his family, and his partners all heal from a day most never have to experience! I ask that you pray for those other families who's hero did not make it home.
God bless the men and women in blue, God bless The City of Granite City.
Mayor Parkinson
