MICHIGAN CITY – As news broke of the shooting of LaPorte County Deputy Jon Samuelson, and as medical teams worked to stabilize the injured officer, prayers were already being offered at the scene and beyond.
The 33-year-old, 12-year veteran of LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office was shot three times on Friday, May 22, by Sharod Grafton Jr., 22, of Chicago, in the Emergency Department of the Franciscan Health Michigan City.
State police believe Samuelson stopped for what he thought was a disabled vehicle, operated by Grafton. At Grafton’s request, the deputy took the man to the Michigan City hospital.
According to police, the deputy returned to the building after learning that Grafton may have been involved in an earlier incident. Grafton then shot Samuelson in an altercation in the emergency room where, according to court documents, Samuelson placed himself between the gunman and a nurse.
Following the shooting, the suspect was quickly located and apprehended in a nearby wooded area. Samuelson was transferred to a South Bend hospital, where he went through an eight-hour surgery. According to a department statement, Deputy Samuelson’s condition is stable, and he remains in critical condition.
“Since last Saturday’s initial update, Deputy Samuelson has made significant strides in his recovery. He is communicating with family, friends, and colleagues and remains in good spirits,” the statement read.
La Porte County Sheriff Ronald C. Heeg called for people to pray for Samuelson and his family in a social media post on Saturday:
“Now more than ever, we need our residents across the county to stand together in strength, faith, and support for one of our own. Deputy Samuelson has dedicated his life to serving and protecting this county, and we ask everyone now to stand beside him and his loved ones with prayer and solidarity.
“Please keep Jon, his family, and the entire LCSO law enforcement community in your thoughts and prayers.”
On Tuesday, May 26, Heeg’s plea was heard as over 200 people gathered at Holy Family-St. Joseph Catholic Church in LaPorte for a Holy Hour and Rosary to pray for the critically wounded Samuelson and his family.
The Samuelson family, as well as Jon’s in-laws, are Holy Family parishioners.
Father Nate Edquist, pastor of Holy Family Parish, spoke of the importance of coming together as a community to pray for Jon and his family, as well as all law enforcement officers.
“With the emotion of everything, it's always good to bring the community together in prayer and just put ourselves quietly before the Lord and let him speak to us in the silence rather than filling our time with all kinds of other distractions,” he said.
According to Father Edquist, to be a public servant, one must fight the tendency to be selfish and to lay down oneself for other people, even if it means putting oneself in harm’s way.
“The Lord took on a very violent act of the cross for the sake of humanity,” he said. “Same thing for those in someone's life, in Jon's situation, to put himself in danger and to sacrifice his own wishes and comforts and self-preservation in order to preserve others was an incredibly heroic thing for him to do.”
Greg Samuelson, Jon’s uncle, expressed gratitude for the support the family has received.
“Just a tremendous outpouring of people,” said Samuelson. “To see all those who attended the service was an uplifting experience. The way the Rosary was said with the group of people present, you could feel the power there – very emotional, very solemn, very peaceful, very uplifting.”
Parishioner Donna Lanoue and her husband, Gary, are parents of two police officers and know the reality that any day “that call” could come. That’s one reason she spends a lot of time in the Adoration Chapel, and attended Tuesday’s Holy Hour.
“As typical parents, you don't ever want to get that phone call,” she said. “My heart goes out to him and his family. We definitely came out to support John, his family, and the community. It was good to see the community connect that way with prayer.”
“Don't you think when you have people praying for you or supporting you, that's kind of healing in itself, too? Along with the medicines and medical care, there also needs to be spiritual care – and that’s what we’re here for,” Lanoue added.
The Knights of Columbus St. Michael Council 1542, of which Jon is a Knight, helped organize the event with members leading the Rosary and concluded with the prayer of St. Michael before Benediction.
“The whole point of the Knights is taking care of your brothers and families, whether it's your parish family, your immediate family or community,” said Greg Konieczny, a Knight with the council.
Describing the number and diversity of people, including Jon’s dad, Doug, and uncle, Greg, who attended the Holy Hour, Konieczny said, “It's hard to summarize the emotions. Just thinking that we can do so much with the power of prayer. There were not just Catholics (attending) – there were Lutherans, Protestants, and more. It's great that we're all here praying and seeing how the power of prayer has already worked firsthand, it was just overwhelming.”
Pastor Dennis Meyer, of Bethany Lutheran Church, has known the Samuelson family for many years and has worked with Jon on occasion through Bethany’s local heroes event Red, Wine and Brew.
Proceeds from the annual four-day event go to local emergency services. Meyer said this year’s proceeds will go to helping Jon and his family.
Meyer was moved by the turnout and also recognizes the power of prayer.
“I've seen miracles happen already. It's a miracle that Jon stepped in front of a bullet to protect a nurse. It was a miracle that it was right in an emergency room where there was immediate treatment, it's a miracle that the gun jammed and there weren't any fatal shots. I always say keep your eyes open, because miracles happen every day all around you. And I think this is just an example.” he said.
He added, “It's just so beautiful to see how young, old, whether Lutheran, Baptist, Catholic or whatever, come together for this purpose, of giving God all the glory for what he's given. I don't think Saint Joe could have held all the people that were praying, because people throughout the country have been praying for Jon.”
The Holy Hour was livestreamed and viewed by many, including the one who many were praying for – Samuelson and his family members.
As Jon Samuelson sat up in his hospital bed focused on the Blessed Sacrament on the tablet screen in front of him, with his wife and mom closely flanking him, a tear slowly rolled from the corner of his eye down his cheek. Then his soft voice uttered, “I miss church. I can’t wait to get back to church.”
Caption: People from throughout Northwest Indiana gather to pray during a Holy Hour for LaPorte County deputy Jon Samuelson on May 26 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. (Michael Wellinski photo)
