Chicago police released video from the shooting death of retired Chicago firefighter Lt. Dwain Williams, killed in a Morgan Park carjacking attempt, in hopes of identifying the suspects. At a Monday afternoon news conference, police showed video from the popcorn shop showing the crime and the suspects in it. They encourage the public to slow the video down, look at it carefully, and to let them know if they recognize any of the suspects. At least $34,000 is being offered as a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. Police said there are four suspects involved in the crime, though the driver of their car cannot be seen in the video because he never got out of the car. Police said the motive for the crime was carjacking, pure and simple. "You saw three suspects exit the car," said Chief Brendan Deenihan. "We believe at least two of them discharged their weapons."  

DeKalb County is one step closer to residents having the capability to text 911 if they're unable to call. DeKalb Police Cmdr. Jason Leverton said during a Wednesday virtual DeKalb County E-911 Board meeting that the DeKalb Police Department 911 center, which services the city and Northern Illinois University, is set to receive its Next Generation 911, or NG911, system equipment and have it installed Tuesday. "We look forward to making that transition next week, at long last," Leverton said. The update comes after county 911 officials started providing regular check-ins about the system implementation process in April 2018. Back then, those officials said DeKalb County would be part of the first of 11 northern Illinois counties to make the upgrade and now that total counties number is now down to nine, including Ogle, Winnebago, Boone, Stevenson, Jo Daviess, Bureau, Carroll and White counties.  

Phil Bartmann, who was an active leader of the McHenry Area Rotary Club for 45 years, spent a career that spanned decades with the McHenry Township Fire Protection District and helped oversee the Fox Waterway Agency, died Thursday. He was 77. A resident of Johnsburg for much of his life and recently of Fox Lake, Bartmann was a mentor for young local firefighters, including McHenry Township Fire Protection District Chief Tony Huemann when Huemann was first hired by the organization. Bartmann served as a firefighter for decades starting in the 1960s, said Huemann, who knew Bartmann as a child. Bartmann then served for years as a trustee on the fire district's board, nearing 50 years of involvement with the agency, Huemann said. "Phil was the guy that took the younger guys under his wing and trained us how to be firefighters. I learned a lot about the fire service from Phil operationally," Huemann said. "Phil didn't just do that for me, he did that for all us firefighters.  

Firefighters battled a blaze Monday in Englewood on the South Side. A fire broke out on the first floor of a home about 8:20 p.m. in the 5800 block of South Peoria Street, according to Chicago fire officials. Crews rescued two people from the home when they arrived, fire officials said. A 66-year-old man and a woman, 70, were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious-to-critical condition, fire officials said. A 41-year-old woman was taken to the same hospital in fair-to-serious condition. The blaze was extinguished by 9:20 p.m., fire officials said.  

Just weeks before a COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be made available to U.S. medical workers and first responders, a firefighters' union internal survey taken by members of the country's largest fire department shows that more than 50% say they would not take it, mirroring what appears to be a nationwide hesitancy to get the shot. The Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) survey of 2,000 members of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) showed that 55% of participants said they would not bother to get inoculated. Andrew Ansbro, president of the UFA, said the results of the survey are concerning in light of 200 members of the fire department currently being out sick with coronavirus. "As a union, we are encouraging our members to get the vaccine, but we are defending that right to make that choice," Ansbro said at a news conference Sunday.  

The Chicago Police Department released stunning surveillance footage Monday showing the moments leading up to and following the fatal shooting of a retired fire lieutenant in the city's Beverly Woods neighborhood. Dwain Williams, 65, was shot and killed during an attempted carjacking on Thursday after leaving a gourmet popcorn shop in the 11700 block of South Western Avenue. As Williams left the shop, he was confronted by multiple individuals who jumped out of a car and began firing in his direction. Williams shielded himself with his SUV, which was decorated with a red Rudolph nose and reindeer antlers, as he returned fire at the suspects. The veteran firefighter, who served on the Chicago Fire Department for 28 years, sustained a gunshot wound and was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.  

VIDEO: One person was taken to the hospital after police said someone opened fire Monday morning in southwest Charlotte, hitting a fire truck and two other vehicles. The shots rang out around 9:20 a.m. close to a 7-Eleven near the intersection of Clanton Road and Barringer Drive. Police said bullets hit a fire truck but no CFD firefighters were injured. A person in one of the other vehicles that were hit by gunfire, a Jeep Cherokee, had to be taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound but police said they would survive. Police said bullets hit a fire truck but no CFD firefighters were injured. A person in one of the other vehicles that were hit by gunfire, a Jeep Cherokee, had to be taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound but police said they would survive. Police told Channel 9 they don't think the shooting was random and said the gunman was on foot. They said the fire truck was not the intended target. No arrests have been made.  

In what has been arguably the toughest year in recent history for first responders, access to care for post-traumatic stress disorder remains out of reach through the state's workers' compensation law. Back in February, the I-Team reported on a bill in Madison that would include PTSD as a workplace injury for firefighters and police officers. But since then the plan has stalled in the Legislature, another setback caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe Flick, a Milwaukee firefighter and the president of Ignite the Spirit Milwaukee, reminds us that the pandemic doesn't stop first responders from answering the call. "We're still going to all the fires and the car accidents and you know all the trauma that we see," Flick said. "But now, the call volume is much higher as well." Flick said for many of his fellow firefighters, PTSD doesn't typically come from one specific scene. Instead, it builds call after call.  

VIDEO: The governor's mansion is now decorated for the holidays and is open to a limited audience over the next several days. "I looked at the decorations at the mansion and I thought, 'This is Mississippi's home and I just helped decorate it.' Wow, what an honor," decorator Trina Dendy said. The mansion is filled with traditional Christmas decor including eight Christmas trees and over 30 wreaths. The displays include a gingerbread village and several ornaments created by Mississippians that pay tribute to COVID-19 front-line workers and first responders. "They're made by local artists, and some of the time put into those is just amazing," Dendy said. "They're beautiful: representing the firemen, the policemen, the nurses, the doctors." Those visiting the mansion are encouraged to leave a thank you note for first responders, which will then be delivered by Santa right before Christmas.