VIOLA —A public memorial service for NicholasWeist, the Knox County sheriff's deputy killed in the line of duty Friday,will be held Saturday afternoon at Galesburg High School, 1135 W. Fremont St.
A memorial service, open to the public, is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday in John Thiel Gymnasium atGHS.A first responder walk-through will take place at the beginning of the service; lineup for the walk-through begins at 1 p.m.
Dennison Funeral Home of Viola — where Weist resided with his wife and two young children —is handling the arrangements.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker added his condolences via Twitter at Monday afternoon.
"I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Deputy Nicholas D. Weist from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department," Pritzker tweeted."He gave his life while working to protect others and his sacrifice will not be forgotten. Sending my condolences to his family."
Sheriff's deputy was hit and killed by a car Friday near Alpha
Weist, 34, was hit and killed by a car Friday morning as he was setting out spike strips at the intersection of U.S. Route150 and150th Avenue to stop a vehicle fleeing from Galesburg police.
The suspect's vehicle struck Weist andthen crashed in a field north of the intersection. Galesburg officers apprehended the suspect, Daylon K. Richardson, after a brief foot pursuit.
The incident started when Galesburg police officers responded to a call about a suspect with a gun at Circle K Gas Station on Main Street at 8 a.m. Friday. Two officers found the suspect's vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle sped north on Henderson Street ignoring stoplights and trying to elude the police. The chase continued out of Galesburg onU.S. Route 150 until the vehicle hitthe spike strips and deputy.
Nicholas "Nick" Weist obituary:July 28, 1987 ~ April 29, 2022
Henry County State’s Attorney Catherine Runty said that Richardson has been charged with two counts of murder, one count ofunlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding. Those are crimes allegedly committed in Henry County.
The Illinois State Police will continue its investigation into the entirety of the case, including the incident that initiated the call to police.Runty said she may add to thecharges.
Weist was married with children ages 12 and 9
According to his obituary, Weistwas born July 28, 1987, to Kevin Weist and Robin Monson in Platteville, Wisconsin.He married the love of his life, Jessica Weist, Jan.11, 2012. Nick was a devoted husband and father to Jessica and his two children, Ava, 12 and Emery, 9.
He is survived by his wife and children of Viola; his parents, Robin (Bill) Monson and Kevin Weist; sister, Lindsay Weist all of Davenport; his paternal grandfather, Donald Weist and maternal grandfathers, Donald Mueller and Jim (Carol) Nicholas, Jr. He is also survived by step siblings Jason (Cathleen) Monson; Bill (Christina) Monson; Ryan (Annie) Monson; Renee (Cory) Funk; Megan Monson; Jessica’s parents Cheryl and Lawrence Milder; sisters Kendra (Michael) Elledge and Jennifer (Joe) Kindon; and brother Benjy (Tiffany Bogardo) Milder.Nick was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Peggy Mueller and paternal grandmother, Mary Lou Weist.
He wanted to be a police officer since he was a young boy
The obituary saysWeist wanted to be a police officer since he was a boy.He graduated from Western Illinois University in 2009 with a degree in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration.Following an internship with the Rock Island Police Department, he worked as a security guard for Trinity Hospital in the Quad Cities.In 2012, he was hired by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department as a 911 dispatcher and then as a Correctional Officer.On June 26, 2015, he was sworn into the Aledo Police Department and after graduating from the Illinois Police Training Institute in September 2015, he began his career on the road.He was also a volunteer for the Viola Fire Department.
In 2018, he began working as a Sheriff’s Deputy for Knox County, where he was working at the time of his death.
Knox County deputy:What we know about the death of Nicholas Weist
According to his obituary, family was Nick’s first priority.He loved anything outdoors, and he especially enjoyed mountain biking and fishing with his kids.He also enjoyed deer hunting, cooking, and playing video games.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Quad City Bank & Trust, 3551 7th St. #100, Moline, IL 61265, in memory of Nicholas Weist.
