By C1 Staff
PONTIAC, Ill. — On the 36th anniversary of the riot at the Pontiac Correctional Center, the Livingston County War Museum unveiled a tribute to the three corrections officers who lost their lives in the disturbance.
Pantagraph reports that replicas of Lt. William Thomas, Robert Conkle and Stanley Cole’s uniforms were placed on display to commemorate the anniversary of the riot and to remember their sacrifice.
The uniforms will remain on display for a short time at the administration center of the prison before being moved permanently to the museum.
“These men gave their lives in service to the people of the state of Illinois, after having risked their lives in service to the people of the United States of America,” said Tom Shaer, director of communications for the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The state’s deadliest prison riot was attributed to gangs who wanted to send a message to the prison’s new warden, Thaddeus Pinkney, who was perceived as a threat. It involved mover 1,000 inmates armed with contraband weapons, leaving three officers injured and another three dead.
To quell the riot, state troopers armed with shotguns worked in groups of 25 to 50 to return the prisoners to their cells. None of the prisoners escaped.
“We honor these military veterans who also were employed at the Pontiac Correctional Center,” said Pontiac prison Warden Randy Pfister. “Their sacrifice in the line of duty will never be forgotten.”