Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic, 49, was killed on December 29, 2021, in Bourbonnais, Illinois, while on duty with the Bradley Police Department. A 21-year law enforcement veteran, she and her partner Officer Tyler Bailey were responding to a Comfort Inn call about dogs barking in an unattended vehicle when they located the vehicle’s occupants in a hotel room and attempted to address the situation. The encounter escalated into a violent confrontation.

Sullivan then chased Sergeant Rittmanic down a hallway; his gun jammed, and he disarmed her before fatally shooting her with her own service weapon. 26-year-old Xandria Harris is reported to have assisted Sullivan and to have left the scene with her two children.

The case raised questions about officer safety during welfare checks and hotel-room contacts, and it devastated colleagues and the community who remembered Rittmanic’s long service. If anyone has information about the events that night or knew Sergeant Rittmanic, please come forward.