Raymond Henry Topolewski

Will County Sheriff's Dept. — Joliet, IL

Felonious

End of Watch February 10, 1985

Age 27

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 129 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Will County Sheriff's Deputy Raymond Topolewski succumbed from injuries he sustained in a hit-and-run accident on January 22nd. Deputy Topolewski of Bolingbrook died at 9:34 p.m. at St. Joseph Medical Center, where he had been confined since the accident. The hit-and-run accident occurred as Deputy Topolewski stood near his squad car in the 100 block of Patterson Road investigating a rape complaint. Deputy Topolewski and another deputy were dispatched to the scene at approximately 9:51 p.m. Both parked their cars off the road. Deputy Topolewski was talking to the complainant as the second deputy, who parked in front of Deputy Topolewski, was walking to join the two. He noticed a car going southbound off the road at a high rate of speed. The moving car hit Deputy Topolewski's squad car, which then hit the second deputy and spun him around. The moving car then grazed the woman's leg and struck Deputy Topolewski. The car continued south on Patterson Road. On January 24th, the hit-and-run driver went to the Laraway Road Station to report his vehicle had struck a fence on Woodruff Road the night of the hit-and-run accident. Police arrested him for the accident after questioning him. Originally he had been charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and driving under the influence of intoxicants and was free on a $1,000 bond. After Deputy Topolewski's death, the Will County State's Attorney's Office filed an additional charge of reckless homicide. Deputy Topolewski had served with the Will County Sheriff's Office for six years.

Survivors

He is survived by his mother, also a Will County Sheriff's Deputy, his father, a brother, and a sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-C5F417FB
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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Topolewski gave the Will County Sheriff's Office 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Joliet community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Topolewski.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Will County Sheriff's Dept.

Location Joliet, IL

Platform Identity wcso.will.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 10, 1985

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 27

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile

Offender Charged with Reckless Homicide

Deputy Sheriff Raymond Henry Topolewski is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 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 9.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Will County Sheriff's Dept., 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.

Will County Sheriff's Dept.

of 6 officers

83.3% Felonious

IL — Statewide

842

of 1,318 officers

63.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious