Roll of Honor
Incident
On Saturday, July 16, 1983, at approximately 3:25 a.m. at 143rd between Gauger Road and State Street, Will County Auxiliary Deputy Stephen Mayer and Auxiliary Sergeant Denis Foley were mortally wounded in an ambush slaying. The deputies had been shot in what they thought was going to be a routine stop to help a motorist. They stopped to assist the driver of a pickup truck. The rear of the truck was blocking part of the road, while its front bumper was up against a red car parked in a rutted turn-around area. As the officers approached, their assailant said, "We need a jump." When the officers exited Squad 301A, the gunman suddenly shot both of them. Mayer died shortly after being shot; Foley was seriously wounded in the throat. A few minutes later, another car came around the curve and slowed down. The gunman opened up on them. The driver was killed; his passenger was shot six times. The car rolled on down the road and into a bean field. Wounded and frightened, the female went looking for help. The deputies in 301A were in trouble, but they couldn't be found, and other officers were frantically searching in the darkness of rural Homer Township. Between 3:25 a.m. and 3:40 a.m., county police officers searched for Squad 301A. Sergeant Foley, badly injured from one bullet that had shattered his mouth and teeth, attempted to speak over Squad 301A's radio microphone. Most of his words were garbled. He couldn't give his location. He was instructed to turn on his siren and shine his spotlight in the air. Meanwhile, a farmer who lived in the area called county police to say he could hear racket behind his buildings, including a siren. Officers met the citizen, and less than a minute later, the site of the ambush was located. After finding the two auxiliary deputies, responding units located the bodies of a 25-year-old female and a 32-year-old male who had been in the car parked in front of the pickup truck. The auxiliary officers' guns and wallets were missing. Mayer's body
Survivors
survivor saw a man in a uniform shirt shouting at them. She thought the officer was shooting at them.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-F97A5CE6- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
You barely got started.
Auxiliary Deputy Mayer gave the Will County Sheriff's Office 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Joliet community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Auxiliary Deputy Mayer.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Auxiliary Deputy Steven W. Mayer 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Steven W. Mayer's cause is highlighted.
How Steven W. Mayer Compares
Offender Outcome
Arrested, not tried.
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Steven W. Mayer is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Steven W. Mayer was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from Will County Sheriff's Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
