Colona Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 11, 1993
Age: 23
Tour of Duty: 7 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Drowned
Date of Incident: May 11, 1993
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Auxiliary Police Officer Ty Massey drowned after being carried away in a swollen river after responding to a call of a vehicle that had been swept off the I-80 bridge over the Rock River.
After he and his partner arrived on the scene, Auxiliary Officer Massey jumped over a guard rail, thinking he was at ground level. However, he fell approximately 30 feet and struck a concrete embankment before being swept away into the river.
His body was recovered four days later, on May 15th, 1993, approximately one mile downstream. It was later determined that the initial report of a vehicle in the river was a false report.
Auxiliary Officer Massey had served with the Colona Police Department for seven months. He was survived by his unborn child, parents, and sister.