Wood River Police Walking Trail
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WOOD RIVER — The Wood River Police Department held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday afternoon, May 14, 2025, to open a new walking trail around the police department property and to dedicate a new police memorial, coinciding with National Police Week.
Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells said the timing was intentional, noting that “this week would be the perfect week” to unveil the trail and memorial. The walking trail, approximately half a mile long, was funded by a grant from the Agency for Community Transit and offers residents a safe place to walk.
The new police memorial, located outside the Wood River Police Department, honors five officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Among those commemorated is Police Chief Samuel Thompson, who was shot and killed on Dec. 6, 1912, while attempting to arrest a man threatening his employer near Ferguson Avenue and Second Street. Despite being mortally wounded, Thompson returned fire and killed the suspect. He had served as chief for nearly two years and was survived by his wife and children.
Also memorialized is Village Marshal John Phipps, who died after contracting rabies from a bite inflicted by a rabid dog. The dog had previously bitten a young girl, and Phipps was bitten while trying to kill the animal. He was treated at St. Joseph’s Hospital but succumbed to the disease. Phipps was survived by his wife and 12 children from multiple marriages.
The memorial also honors three other officers with ties to Wood River: Officer Evan Burns of the Caruthersville Police Department in Missouri, whose brother is Aaron Burns a Sgt. with the Wood River Police Department who was killed on Aug. 16, 2011, after being struck by a stolen vehicle while deploying spike strips during a pursuit.
Officer Tyler Timmins of the Pontoon Beach Police Department, a Wood River native and former police cadet, was shot and killed on Oct. 26, 2021, while investigating a stolen vehicle at a Speedway gas station.
Officer Blake Snyder of the St. Louis County Police Department, who grew up in nearby Godfrey and was shot and killed responding to a disturbance on Arno Drive in Green Park, Missouri, shortly after 5 a.m.
During the dedication ceremony, speeches were given by the wife of Tyler Timmins and the mother of Blake Snyder, honoring their loved ones’ service and sacrifice.
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