ALPHA, Ill. — Knox County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Weist, 34, died in the line of duty on Friday morning, April 29.
Weist was setting up spike strips at the intersection of US-150 and 150 Avenue in Henry County during a police pursuit when he was struck by the suspect's vehicle.
Daylon Richardson, 22, of Granite City, Illinois, was arrested after crashing in a field north of the intersection and was charged with two counts of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, aggravated fleeing, and eluding, according to the Illinois State Police.
In wake of Weist's death, many have stepped up in support of his family and the community he served. Here are some of the memorial efforts:
The Quad Cities Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service on Sunday, May 1, honored Weist and the 48 other Quad Cities area officers who have fallen in the line of duty since 1869.
During the ceremony, each officer's name was read aloud and a family member or fellow officer placed a flower on a wreath next to the memorial located at the Rock Island County Justice Center. Weist was the first officer honored.
Watch the entire memorial service here:
Running 4 Hereos founder Zechariah Cartledge conducted a fallen hero flag mission Monday, May 2, during which he will run a mile in honor of Weist. The organization also created a Facebook fundraising campaign on behalf of the Weist family with permission from the sheriff's office.
The Village of Alpha, Illinois, invited the community to meet at 3 p.m. Monday at its Gazebo Park to line every post, pole, and tree along US-150 with blue ribbons in Weist's honor. Those attending were asked to bring blue ribbon and scissors if they have any, and those that live along US-150 were encouraged to decorate their whole yard on behalf of the fallen officer.
A public memorial service for Weist will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at Galesburg High School, according to Dennison Funeral Home. A first responder walk will take place at the beginning of the service, with the lineup for the walk beginning at 1 p.m.
According to Weist's obituary, memorials can be made to Quad City Bank & Trust, 3551 7th St. #100, Moline, IL 61265, in memory of Nicholas Weist.
First Student Bus Company in Galesburg will be holding a Stuff the Bus event in honor of Deputy Weist from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Dollar General on Henderson Street. At the event, memorials and monetary donations will be accepted for the Weist family.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office said it had yet to finalize an official donation account, but it will release details on its Facebook page when available.