When state officials and law enforcement leaders gathered in 2015 to dedicate the Willow Road Overpass along the Tri-State Tollway in Des Plaines in memory of Illinois State Police Trooper James Sauter, his widow called the fallen officer from Vernon Hills “a man of purpose.” Former colleagues across the state embodied that spirit this week as they took part in Operation Sauter, an intensive 24-hour safety campaign aimed at preventing the circumstances that led to Sauter's tragic death in the line of duty.
