Park Forest Police Department asks public for letters supporting injured officer

PARK FOREST, Ill. (WLS) -- The Park Forest Police Department is asking for help to show one of their officers that he is still loved and appreciated three years after he was shot and gravely injured in the line of duty.

"It gets kind of emotional because of what happened," Park Forest Police Officer Craig Taylor said.

Three years ago this month, then 24-year-old Officer Tim Jones was shot and severely injured in the line of duty.

"It's unexplainable. When you see a colleague in the condition that he was in at that time. It was heartbreaking," Taylor said.

At first, doctors said he might not make it. But at a ceremony honoring Jones and his sacrifice last year, he was all smiles.

Now, the Park Forest Police Department wants your help to show Jones that three years later he is still loved and appreciated. They posted a video on Facebook asking for letters for Officer Jones that's since gone viral.

"So what we are asking is for you all to please flood Tim with letters, with cards, with notes showing that we're all still thinking about him, showing him that we all still love him," Officer Taylor said in the video.

The road to recovery for Jones is still long, but his colleagues say they look forward to seeing Jones' face light up as he reads the letters.

"I want to see that smile on his face when he comes to the police department. The same smile I seen on his first day here on his own," Taylor said.

You can send your letters to:

Officer Tim Jones

c/o Park Forest Police Department

200 Lakewood Blvd.

Park Forest, IL 60466