The Chicago Tribune has an article about the Arlington Heights Police Department and Fire Department being the beneficiaries of a large donation:

The Arlington Heights man who drowned after driving his Cadillac into a pond, leading to the suspension of a dispatcher who mishandled his call for help, left $400,000 for local emergency responders in his will.

Henry E. Laseke estate’s gifted the Arlington Heights fire and police departments with $200,000 each. The man’s money is now paying for a brand new ambulance and funding the police K-9 unit for the next ten years, officials said.

“He was a wonderful person,” said Judy Filek, a family friend who is managing the Henry E. Laseke estate. “He was very quiet, not the type of person you would notice, but you know, he was very loyal.”

Arlington Heights Police Chief Gerald Mourning also said he met with Laseke and his lawyer about three years ago as he was preparing his will. The police chief suggested money for the K-9 unit because Laseke indicated he wanted to help the community with something “above and beyond” the police department budget.

Laseke, 89, drowned after driving his Cadillac SUV into the pond next to his Arlington Heights home on the morning of July 25. Police believe Laseke lost control of the SUV, struck an electrical box and then a post that holds up a balcony on a nearby condominium before ending up in the pond. Two of Laseke’s neighbors jumped into the water to try to save the man that morning in the 1500 block of Courtland Drive.

The dispatcher who was the last person to speak with Laseke ultimately was disciplined for mishandling his 911 call, although documents from Northwest Central Dispatch System suggest the dispatcher’s actions did not slow the response time, as other calls reporting the same emergency came in seconds earlier.

thanks Dan

Tags: Arlington Heights Police Chief Gerald Mourning, Arlington Heights Police Department and Fire Department being the beneficiaries of a large donation, Henry E. Laseke, new ambulance for Arlington Heights, Northwest Central Dispatch System