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John M. Wills “was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. After spending
two years in the Army, he returned home to join the Chicago Police Department. During his 12 years on the force he received
numerous awards and commendations, including the Award of Valor and The Blue Star Award.
John left the Department to become an FBI Special Agent, and was assigned to Chicago,
Alexandria, Detroit, Houston, and the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. He taught street survival to in-service and new agents,
as well as internationally, to police in Budapest, Moscow, and Tashkent. He worked undercover for 2 ½ years in the
Bureau’s first ever steroid investigation entitled, “Operation Equine.”
John has published dozens of articles on officer survival, training, and ethics,
in print magazines and online with “Officer.com,” “LawOfficer.com,” and “New American Truth.”
He is a member of the Public Safety Writers Association, The International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers, Association,
The Virginia Writers Club, Riverside Writers, and the FBI National Academy Associates (175th Session).
John owns his own business, LivSafe, delivering presentations on “Situational
Awareness” to schools, churches, and civic groups.
He is an authorized NCAA speaker on
steroids and drugs, and can also be found working as a Personal Trainer at AnyTime Fitness.” John
M. Wills is the author of Chicago Warriors Midnight Battles in the Windy City,
Gripped by Fear and Targeted.
According to the book description of
Chicago Warriors Midnight Battles in the Windy City, “Chicago Police Officer Pete Shannon’s life
is about to take a dramatic turn. His wife has a dark secret that she’s about to reveal to him; his partner’s
life is about to be in jeopardy, and worst of all one of his own colleagues will present him with one of the biggest challenges
of his life. Pete’s strength, both physical and spiritual, will be put to the test as he and his partner work the “graveyard
shift” on the mean streets of the “Windy City.”
Fellow officer Marilyn Benson doesn't
realize it yet, but her life is about to change in ways that she could have never imagined. Forces of good and evil will do
battle for her soul and her faith, both of which have lain dormant for many years. It's an issue that she can no longer
ignore. St. Michael the Archangel, patron saint of police officers, is about to engage in his biggest clash since throwing
Satan out of Heaven.”
According to the book description of
Gripped by Fear, “Pete
Shannon and Marilyn Benson find
themselves working their biggest case
yet in their new role as Chicago
Police Detectives. In this second book
of the Chicago Warrior Thriller
Series, a madman has inexplicably
targeted women who labor as office
cleaners in downtown Chicago, sexually
assaulting them as they travel to and
from their job.
As the number of victims begins to
mount, the two investigators are
pressured by their boss to solve this
horrendous crime pattern. Local
community organizations soon stage
protest rallies at City Hall,
convincing the media that the city has
become “gripped by fear” as a result
of the rapes. The Mayor demands quick
action by the Police Superintendent to
end this reign of terror. The heat is
on, as summer in Chicago begins to
sizzle, forcing the two detectives to
put their lives on the line as they
attempt to capture this demon of the
darkness. In the midst of it all,
Marilyn learns some disturbing news
that forces her to choose between her
loyalty to Pete and the man she
loves....and in the dramatic climax.”
According to the book description of
Targeted, “Chicago
Police Detectives Pete Shannon and
Marilyn Benson are thrust into a
homicide investigation, taking them
away from the Violent Crimes Unit
where they are normally assigned. A
crazed gunman has been targeting cops,
killing them for no apparent reason,
other than for his own deranged
satisfaction. The duo find themselves
teamed with a pair of tough talking,
abrasive, seasoned cops who do their
best to interfere with the young
detectives at every juncture, making
their lives miserable. The hunt for
the serial killer becomes a
life-altering experience for the
partners as they face individual
challenges that threaten to destroy
them.”
One reader of Targeted
said, “a Christian thriller by John M.
Wills, is the third in the Chicago
Warrior Thriller series. It weaves
together two different threads. John
M. Wills has written about a subject
he knows well. He's spent 35 years in
law enforcement, receiving two of the
highest awards given for valor by the
Chicago Police Department. He's also
been an FBI agent. With all his
experience, he gives the reader an
insider's look into the police force
and the lives of those who work there.
Shannon and Benson are portrayed as
real people, with their own lives and
problems, foibles and blessings. And
even in the toughest of situations,
they have their faith.
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One reader of
Gripped by Fear said, “Once
again John Wills captures the reader's
attention in his second novel in the
Chicago Warriors Thriller Series,
Gripped by Fear. Wills illustrates the
daily struggles officers face while
trying to keep the peace in a world of
good and evil. He addresses crime,
relationships, and life threatening
illness, as well as the difficult
choices today's law enforcement
officers must make. His unique
spiritual warfare approach to crime
and life on the streets cannot help
but touch and change the lives of
those who read it.”
Mike Angley the
award-winning author of the Child
Finder Trilogy said of Gripped
by Fear, “Once again John
Wills hits it out of the park...a
grand slam story just in time for
Christmas! Gripped by Fear will leave
you gripped by faith. John needs to
issue a box of Kleenex with each book
he writes. The characters are so
moving, the sense of genuine evil in
the world is so palpable, and the
heroes will make you cheer not just
for them, but for the loving God who
guides them.”
Police Chaplain
Dean C. Kavouras said of Gripped
by Fear, “the public would be
very surprised to learn that many
police officers are deeply religious
people. I know it as a police
chaplain, and now John Wills makes it
known to the public. When you face
what these officers face every day you
can become hard and cold, or you can
interpret the job through Christian
faith which provides answers and
supreme comfort for stricken souls.
People who like this genre will enjoy
the book, and every police officer who
reads it will benefit as well. It will
confirm that what he believes is
shared by many others, and will teach
him how such faith can strengthen and
consol him in his God-given vocation.
The story line stands on its own, but
the book will also give the public a
new insight to these otherwise very
private people.”
About
the Chicago Police Department On January 31, 1835, the State of Illinois authorized the Town of Chicago to establish
its own police force. On August 15, Orsemus Morrison is elected Chicago's first constable, assisted
by Constables Luther Nichols and John Shrigley. The three-man police force serves and protects a population of about 3,200.
The Police Department pre-dates Chicago as a city.
Today, the Chicago
Police Department is the second largest in the United States, serving approximately 2.9 million residents within the 228 square
miles that constitutes the City of Chicago. The Chicago Police Department had, at the end of 2005, 13,323
sworn police officers and over 2,000 civilian personnel.
The Chicago Police
Department is divided into 25 police districts. Each district has between 9 and 15 police beats, with a
total 281 beats throughout the city of Chicago. Each of the 25 police districts is led by a district commander who, in addition
to uniformed police officers, has teams of undercover tactical and gang police officers at his or her disposal.
The Chicago Police Department Districts are organized into five larger organization entities called Areas.
These area commanders report to the Bureau of Patrol.
In addition to the
Bureau of Patrol, the Chicago Police Department has four other bureaus: Bureau of Investigative Services; Bureau of Strategic
Deployment; Bureau of Crime Strategy and Accountability; and, the Bureau of Administrative services. Instead
of a Chief of Police, the Chicago Police Department has a Superintendent of Police; and, the Bureau commanders hold the rank
of Deputy Superintendent.
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