Rock Island Today

In a May 30 Facebook post, Sen Win Stoller (R-Peoria) congratulated a former school resource officer for having a road in front of Dixon High School named after him. The renaming was done to pay tribute to the officer who bravely handled an active shooter incident.

"Five years ago Mark Dallas became a hero," Stoller wrote. "As a school resource officer, he responded within seconds to an active shooter at Dixon Public Schools #170. Because of his bravery no one was injured. Today the road in front of the school was named in his honor. Well-deserved recognition. Congratulations Mark!"

On May 30, Lincoln Statue Drive in front of Dixon High School was renamed “Mark Dallas Way,” to honor the school resource officer who prevented a school shooting on May 16, 2018, Shaw Local reported on May 31.

WIFR reported in August 2019 that Dallas was awarded the title of "National Officer of the Year" by the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum. The news outlet said that Dallas retired from his position before the commencement of the 2019-2020 school year.

"I couldn't believe it," Dallas said, according to WIFR. "But being mad, being a dad, and being the patrolman, the SRO there, I wasn't gonna let him get away. I was sitting in our athletic director's office talking to our athletic director and his secretary when I heard several shots ring out.”

WIFR reports that Dallas confronted Matthew Milby in the hallway and the two exchanged fire. Dallas told the outlet that his shot struck Milby in the shoulder.

According to a report by KWQC, Milby entered a guilty plea in July 2022 for charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward a peace officer and aggravated discharge of a firearm in a school building. In October 2022, he received a 30-year prison sentence, with both charges to be served concurrently. He will be given credit for the time already served and must serve at least 85% of the 30-year sentence. As part of the plea agreement, other charges, including attempted murder, were dropped in exchange for Milby's guilty plea.

In 2020, the Dixon Police Department announced in a Facebook post that Dallas was honored by the Illinois Juvenile Officer’s Association for his bravery. 

"Officer Mark Dallas was presented with the Illinois Juvenile Officer's Association 2019 Juvenile Officer of the Year Award today for his heroic actions on May 16th, 2018, and his overall commitment to the students at Dixon High School," the Dixon Police Department wrote. "Congratulations Officer Dallas."