Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable Arthur Blomstrom was shot and killed while attempting to serve an assault warrant at a suspect's house. Accompanied by the county sheriff, a deputy sheriff and a jailer, the officers went to the suspect's house south of Lerna shortly after 2:00 pm when the deputy sheriff knocked on the rear door. After receiving no answer, the officers started for the front of the house, when a blast from a 16-gauge shotgun caught Constable Blomstrom in the face. The other officers retreated while the sheriff was able to crawl to his car under cover and went for assistance. A posse of more than 25 citizens and police officers from Charleston and Mattoon came to assist and surrounded the house. While the house was being peppered with gunfire, a rope was used to loop around Constable Blomstrom's arm and dragged him away from the house. He was transported to a Mattoon hospital, but died as the ambulance reached the city limits about 3:45 pm. The coroner later found 108 pellets from the shotgun lodged in the constable's face and neck. The posse continued the siege and only after the house was bombed with tear gas did officers enter the house. They found the suspect dead from an apparent self-inflicted shotgun blast. The assault warrant issued for the suspect was the result of him striking his wife and daughter about the head with the butt of the shotgun during a dispute over his veteran's pension checks.
Survivors
Constable Blomstrom was survived by his wife, son, daughter and 10 grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-IL-5C3F7A78- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Constable Blomstrom served with the Coles County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Charleston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Blomstrom.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Arthur Rheinhold Blomstrom is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 63.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Arthur Rheinhold Blomstrom's cause is highlighted.
How Arthur Rheinhold Blomstrom Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Arthur Rheinhold Blomstrom is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Arthur Rheinhold Blomstrom was killed by shotgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Coles County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.