Key Facts

• On March 5, 2013, Officer Sean O’Brien was spending his day off running errands with his girlfriend. As they headed home in the midst of a snowstorm, they observed a young boy playing in the snow alone, throwing snowballs at passing vehicles. Out of concern for the boy’s safety, and due to the increasingly dangerous weather conditions that day, Officer O’Brien pulled his vehicle off to the shoulder of the road and set out to speak to the child.
• As the officer approached, the young boy became agitated and ran in the opposite direction, straight for the Des Planes River. Officer O’Brien then saw the child pick up a large chunk of snow, hurl it into the freezing water below him, and jump into the river after it.
• Without hesitation, Officer O’Brien followed the boy into the frigid, waist-deep river. Though he could not see the boy, Officer O’Brien faintly noticed the orange Chicago Bears hat the boy was wearing. As quickly as he could, Officer O’Brien pulled the boy out of the river and brought him back to his vehicle. 
• He turned the car heater up as high as it would go in an attempt to maintain the child’s body temperature and called emergency services. Shortly after, the child was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment and released later that day. Once the boy’s parents were located, they explained that their son had wandered off from his grandmother’s house to play in the snow.

Honors and Awards

• During his five-year tenure with the Evanston (IL) Police Department, Officer O’Brien has been recognized for his good work on more than one occasion.
• In 2010, Officer O’Brien was awarded the Evanston Police Department’s Medal of Valor award for freeing a co-worker trapped in her burning vehicle after an automobile crash and stabilizing her until firefighters arrived.
• He has also received the department’s Officer of the Year Award; the City of Evanston’s Lifesaving and Valor Awards, and the Hero Award, presented by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.

Supporting Quotes

• According to Commander Angela Hearts-Glass of the Evanston (IL) Police Department, “The temperature of the water was near freezing and the current could have swept the child away. Officer O’Brien acted without concern for his own safety. It is without dispute that Officer O’Brien performed a true act of heroism and bravery.”
• This admiration for Officer O’Brien is echoed by Commander Joseph Dugan. “Officer O’Brien is a hard-working police officer who has the ability to be proactive in making arrests while still maintaining a positive relationship with members of the community where he patrols.”
• ”The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is honored to present Officer O’Brien with our Officer of the Month Award for January 2014," said Craig W. Floyd, Memorial Fund Chairman & CEO. "His willingness to risk his own safety in the face of danger to save the life of a child shows a true embodiment of a heroic spirit," he said. “He is most deserving of the Officer of the Month Award.”

For more information about the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s Officer of the Month Award, visit www.LawMemorial.org/OTM.

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About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
Established in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private non-profit organization dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America's law enforcement officers and to promoting officer safety. The Memorial Fund maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, which contains the names of 19,981 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. The Memorial Fund is now working to create the National Law Enforcement Museum, which will tell the story of American law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibitions, historical artifacts and extensive educational programming. For more information, visit www.LawMemorial.org.