The Indiana State Police held an awards and recognition ceremony in Indianapolis Friday, where two Lowell troopers received lifesaving awards. From the Lowell Post, Trooper Jordin Bilthuis and Trooper Israel Rosillo were recognized for life-saving action they took in Lake County this past year.
On September 11, 2021, just before midnight, Troopers Bilthuis and Rosillo responded to a dispatch of gunshot victims located in a vehicle, on I-80 westbound in Gary. Trooper Rosillo was the first to arrive on the eastbound side of the interstate looking at the vehicle which was westbound. Rosillo exited his commission, retrieved his first aid kit from the trunk, jumped the concrete median barrier, and approached the vehicle which was full of bullet holes.
Rosillo discovered that there were five occupants in the vehicle, three of which had been shot. He then came upon the front seat passenger of the vehicle, a female, who had been shot twice, once in the arm and once in the leg. Rosillo was able to make a visual assessment of the victim and applied a tourniquet to her leg. He then radioed to responding officers that he needed an additional tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
Trooper Bilthuis arrived soon after and at Rosillo’s direction, applied a second tourniquet to the victim’s arm. EMS arrived soon after and transported all the wounded from the scene to the hospital. The female survived the incident.
Trooper Bilthuis is a two-year veteran and Trooper Rosillo is a three-year veteran of the Indiana State Police.