Oak Park detective fatally shot in first line-of-duty death in over 80 years

Oak Park Detective Allan Reddins was fatally shot on November 29, marking the suburb's first line-of-duty death in over 80 years. This incident follows the recent killing of Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez, highlighting ongoing gun violence affecting law enforcement. Reddins, 40, was responding to a report of a gunman when he was shot near the Oak Park Public Library. The suspect, Jerrell Thomas, has a history of arrests, including for assaulting police officers. Reddins was remembered as a skilled officer and a potential future sergeant. His death adds to the troubling statistics of police fatalities, with firearms being the leading cause of such deaths in 2024.