Report: Chicago Officers Turn Backs to Mayor Lightfoot After Female Officer Killed

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot presides over the Chicago City Council meeting at City Hall,
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, Pool

Chicago police officers turned their backs to Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) when she arrived at the hospital after one officer was killed and another critically wounded, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Officer Ella French was shot and killed Saturday during a traffic stop just after 9 p.m., and her male partner was shot and hospitalized in critical condition.

The Chicago Sun-Times noted that approximately “30 officers” turned their backs to Lightfoot when she arrived at the hospital.

The Sun-Times also pointed out that “Lightfoot tried to talk to the male officer’s father, who himself is a retired Chicago police officer.” Sources who were at the hospital suggested the officer’s father “clearly wanted nothing to do with Lightfoot.”

Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara spoke about the officers turning their backs to Lightfoot, saying, “The police officers’ decision to turn their backs on the mayor while waiting with the family on the 7th floor was significant. Turning their backs on the mayor was an excellent example of how the hundreds of police officers felt waiting outside the hospital.”

NBC 5 points out that Catanzara told Fox News that Lightfoot was told not to go to the 7th floor as that was where the critically wounded officer’s family was waiting for news from doctors. Lightfoot went anyway, leading Catanzara to believe “[the Mayor] still thought she knew best and went up there against the advice of family.”

The Chicago Tribune reports that Lightfoot’s office released a statement Monday, addressing the officers’ reaction to her by saying, “In a time of tragedy, emotions run high and that is to be expected.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkinsa weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.

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