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Illinois honors fallen police officers
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THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2025
Mendoza blasts state policies that âgive more rights to criminalsâ
By Ben Szalinski CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
Nine Illinois police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2024 were honored at a ceremony in Springfield on May 1. The Illinois Peace Officers Memorial takes place every year on the first Thursday of May to honor officers who died on the job in the prior year. Families of the officers are given a plaque honoring their family memberâs service by the stateâs constitutional elected officials and the officersâ names are inscribed on a memorial outside the Illinois Capitol. âThey woke up every single day knowing that they may be called on to face extreme uncertainty, that on a momentâs notice, they may be required to put themselves in harmâs way to save another,â Gov. JB Pritzker said. This yearâs event honored DeKalb County Deputy Sheriff Christina Musil, De-
partment of Corrections Sgt. Andrew Faught, Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca, Cook County Corrections Deputy Sheriff Rafael Wordlaw, Chicago Police Officer James Crowley, Illinois State Police Trooper Corey Thompsen, Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez, Oak Park Detective Allan Reddins and ISP Trooper Clay Carns. This yearâs event also honored K-9s for the first time, including K-9 officers that died in the line of duty from Rockford, Lake County and Alton last year. Treasurer Mike Frerichs also gave an emotional speech honoring his cousin, a California police officer who recently died. Frerichsâ office provides a college scholarship fund for children of first responders who died on the job. Former ISP Trooper Kim Cessna, who leads a nonprofit for family members of fallen police officers, gave a personal remembrance of
her colleague Thompsen, who was killed in a crash last October. Kathleen Rittmanic-Emme, the sister of Bradley Police Officer Marlene Rittmanic who died in 2021, described the emotional toll that court cases take on families following an officerâs death. âFour years of hell to get what you call justice is absolutely heart-wrenching and ridiculous,â said Rittmanic-Emme. Rittmanicâs killer was sentenced in January to life in prison. Martinezâs death was on Comptroller Susana Mendozaâs mind. Martinez was shot and killed during a traffic stop last November on Chicagoâs South Side by a man with an illegally modified gun, according to prosecutors. But it was the suspectâs criminal history that Mendoza said bothered her the most. Block Club Chicago reported the man was on
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Opinion.............................4 Police Reports �������������������8 Speak out..........................5 Sports......................... 18-20
electronic monitoring when he killed Martinez and had multiple prior convictions, including battery, fleeing the police and aggravated discharge of a firearm. He was also awaiting trial on drug charges at the time of the murder. âChicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez would be with us right now and not on this button or the memorial wall outside if the monster that murdered him was locked up instead of out committing crimes while out on electronic monitoring,â Mendoza said. Mendoza, a Chicago Democrat and sister of a Chicago Police officer, blasted portions of the SAFE-T Act â a 2021 police reform law championed by Democrats after Geroge Floydâs murder in 2020. She said as an elected official, she needs to do more to speak out against policies she believes jeopardize officer safety. Mendoza called on lawmakers to remove a provision in state law that requires people on home confinement with or without electronic monitoring to be given two days of movement. âWhen we give more rights to the criminals than we do to our police officers, we end up with dead officers and increased crime in our communities,â Mendoza said, earning applause from the officers and families in attendance.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS Addison Independent
Addison village officials sworn in
The Village of Addison recently hosted the 2025 community inauguration ceremony, swearing in newly elected and reelected officials from the Addison Fire Protection District, Addison Public Library, Addison School District 4, DuPage High School District 88, Addison Park District, Addison Township, and Village of Addison. Officials were sworn in by Judges of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court of DuPage County, The Honorable Chantelle Porter and The Honorable Kenneth Toluemke (retired). In attendance were several state representatives, including State Rep. Norma Hernandez, U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, and U.S. Rep. Jesus Garcia. The ceremony began with the posting of the colors by the Addison police and fire departments Color Guard. The night also included an invocation by Rev. Bob Tetrick from Messiah Baptist Church and music by the Indian Trail Junior High 8th Grade Orchestra and the Addison Trail High School Choir. New Addison Mayor Tom Hundley is shown above addressing those in attendance after being sworn in. In another photo (top, from left to right) are Village Trustees Sam Nasti, Jay Del Roasrio and Catherine Kluczny, Village Clerk Lucille Zucchero and Hundley.
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