CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A north suburban corrections officer has been awarded a high honor for saving lives while on the job.
Lake County Jail corrections officer Elvis Fejzic has been named Correctional Officer of the Year by the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, officials announced this week.
Police say he twice stopped jail inmates from committing suicide last year.
Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Christopher Covelli told the Daily Herald that in August, Fejzic stopped an inmate who was trying to choke himself with a bedsheet.
In September, Fejzic stopped an inmate, who was trying to hang himself with a T-shirt in his jail cell.
Sheriff John Idleburg commended Fejzic.
"The dedication and service-oriented mindset of our corrections officers often go unseen by the community, as their heroic actions occur behind closed doors," Idleburg said. "Each and every day, our corrections officers work diligently to make a positive impact on those incarcerated and continually participate in efforts to reduce recidivism."
Normally, Covelli said, the Illinois Sheriffs' Association would have given the award at its winter conference, but the event was canceled because of the pandemic. Additionally, the Lake County sheriff's office would have had a ceremony for Fejzic, but the office is being mindful not to gather in large groups.
