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Aurora cop lands Kane officer of the year for saving girl

An Aurora police officer is Kane County's Officer of the Year for 2015 for saving the life of a 7-year-old girl who was in a car that plunged into a retention pond last summer.

Officer Dean Tucker was praised for his actions on June 17, 2015, as he took home the Louis Spuhler Award from the Kane County Chiefs of Police Association and the Batavia Moose Lodge 682 Wednesday night.

According to Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman, Tucker and other officers were sent to the 1700 block of North Edgelawn Avenue on the city's far west side for a crash in which one of the cars careened into a pond.

Once he arrived, Tucker talked with witnesses who said the other car was completely underwater. He then saw a body float to the surface about 40 yards into the pond.

Tucker stripped off his duty gear, swam out to the body and determined it was a girl. He kept her afloat and swam back to shore, needing a hand from another officer at the end because he was extremely fatigued, police said.

"Officer Tucker's bravery and selflessness saved a young girl's life," wrote Aurora Police Lt. Keith Cross in Tucker's nomination letter. "Had he not acted with the decisiveness that he did, this unfortunate tragedy would have been worse. Officer Tucker disregarded his own safety to ensure the safety of this young girl."

The girl's mother and brother drowned in the pond.

"Our entire law enforcement community is proud of Officer Tucker and the heroic decision he made that day," added St. Charles Deputy Chief David Kintz, who is chair of the chief's association's nominating committee. "All of the nominations were examples of excellent police work that officers all over Kane County provide each and every shift."

Other nominees included: Aurora Officer Ronald McNeff; Batavia Sgt. Eric Blowers and Officers Erika Stover, Justin Howe, Chris Potthoff and Mark Skorup; Elgin Detective Andrew Houghton; Illinois State Trooper Gregory Melzer; Kane County Sheriff's Lt. Brian McCarty; Montgomery Sgt. Elizabeth Palko; and West Dundee Lt. Anthony Gorski.

The event, now in its 39th year, is named in honor of Spuhler, a now-deceased Kane County Sheriff's lieutenant who approached the Batavia Moose Lodge with the idea to recognize the county's top officer.

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