Illinois State Police Release Updated Statement from the Family of Bradley Police Department Officer Tyler Bailey

Bradley Police Department Officer Tyler Bailey. Photo submitted by Illinois State Police.

For Immediate Release – January 22, 2022

*Sent Out on Behalf of the Bradley Police Department*

Twenty-three days ago, our community lost Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic. It feels like months have passed since that night in December, but it has been just twenty-three days. Over that time, we have watched an immense outpouring of love and kindness during her procession, the services, and when she was laid to rest. She was a true hero, and we miss her dearly. The entire community rallied together to show their unconditional support for her, and we could not have been more proud of the legacy she left for us.

Twenty-three days ago, we also got the heart-wrenching call that Tyler was involved in this senseless shooting and poised ourselves to hear that we may never see him again. In the short period since that night, we have given one release regarding Tyler’s condition, delivered by Deputy Chief Anderson during an emotional press conference. At that time, we thanked everyone who was involved in saving Tyler’s life that night, and we continue to be grateful to all of those officers, first responders, doctors, nurses and medical personnel that make it possible for our family to release a second update on Tyler and his progress over this short period. We continue to be thankful for the respect and privacy everyone has allowed us to have during this time. It has made the journey much easier on Tyler’s family, and we appreciate everyone’s continued display of kindness in that respect.

These past few weeks, we have witnessed firsthand a community come together in support of their police officers by flying flags, tying blue ribbons on their trees, and turning their front porches blue each night to show their support. We pray that the community continues to show the same level of compassion to all of our police officers. Despite experiencing firsthand, the dangers they face simply doing their job, our local police officers continue to serve us every day, risking their lives for ours every time they put on the badge.

We are humbled by the number of events that have occurred already and those that are scheduled to happen over the next few months to support not only Tyler, but his wife Sydney as well. She has been able to stay at Tyler’s side this entire time, holding his hand so that he always feels her touch, talking to him so that he hears a voice he knows and loves. This would not be possible without the support and generosity of everyone involved.

In the days following the incident, we stood by simply praying Tyler would survive. During the following three weeks, we have watched Tyler give everything he has to fight for his life. We thank God every day that Tyler is strong and is able to push back against these injuries. He has displayed small improvements on almost a daily basis and has reached real milestones in his recovery over this short time. Earlier this week, after almost three weeks in the intensive care unit, Tyler was strong enough to be released from the ICU to standard hospital care. He is no longer in critical condition, he is stable, and he is getting ready to start the next chapter of his recovery. It appears likely that Tyler will soon be released from the hospital to begin his next phase of treatment. While there remains a long road ahead for Tyler in his recovery, it’s an incredible feeling to be able to share this information with the community that has been with us every step of the way.

We will do our best to keep the community updated with Tyler’s future progress as he heals. We are eternally grateful for the support Tyler and Sydney have received in these short twenty-three days. We are so proud of Tyler and his courageous fight. We wish Marlene was here to see it as well, but we know she is watching out for Tyler from above.