A former Pontoon Beach, Illinois police officer is receiving financial assistance after an on-duty injury led to losing part of his leg.

The painful injury stemmed from a crash in January 2018 when a pickup truck crossed the center line, hitting Lee Brousseau’s patrol car head-on. The driver of the pickup died at the scene. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed but it was dismissed in 2024.

After constant pain and multiple surgeries, Brousseau underwent an amputation of his right foot and lower leg earlier this year.

While not a cop anymore, he still serves his community as the chief investigator for the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. State’s Attorney Tom Haine praised his investigator’s resilience.

“Lee consistently goes above and beyond for this community,” Haine said. “His dedication reflects the very best of our office. We’re fortunate to have someone with such integrity and determination on our team.”

The BackStoppers announced Wednesday it’s providing $150,000 to help Brousseau with medical and out of pocket expenses from the injury. 

“Officer Brousseau dedicated his career to serving and protecting his community, and the injuries he suffered have had a lasting impact on every aspect of his life,” said Lt. Col. Lawrence M. O’Toole, Executive Director of The BackStoppers. “BackStoppers is committed to standing beside him and his family as they navigate the challenges ahead.”

The non-profit is known for providing immediate and ongoing financial assistance to families of fallen and badly injured police, fire and EMS personnel in Missouri and Illinois.

Brousseau says he wants to write a book about his experience to help other officers going through the same thing. 

Brousseau also serves as president of the Tyler Timmins Foundation. He and Timmins were friends and fellow Pontoon Beach officers. A shooter killed Timmins in the line of duty in 2021.