Brandon Johnson backs away from plans to attend slain Officer Enrique Martinez, bowing to family's wishes
Planned to turn the funeral into a political event
The mayor previously had said he’d go to the slain cop’s family’s despite Martinez’s relatives saying they didn’t want him or Gov. JB Pritzker there.
By Violet Miller and Cindy Hernandez
Updated Nov 16, 2024, 12:25pm CST
Mayor Brandon Johnson
Mayor Brandon Johnson backed away Saturday from his previously announced plans to go to the funeral services for slain Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez, bowing to the wishes of Martinez’s family.
“I heard from the family and am honoring their request and will no longer plan to attend the honors funeral services,” Johnson said Saturday. “We all want to do right by Officer Martinez and give his family and the CPD family space to grieve. The focus must remain on Officer Martinez, his loved ones and the CPD as our city continues to honor his ultimate sacrifice and legacy of service.”
Martinez, 26,
was shot to death Nov. 4 during a traffic stop in Chatham.
The officer’s family has been “very clear they do not want the governor or the mayor to attend” the funeral,
John Catanzara, the president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, said in a
video posted on YouTube.
The mayor’s office
had said Friday that Johnson planned to attend Monday’s funeral, as would police Supt. Larry Snelling.
That prompted Ald. Gil Villegas (36th) to criticize him, saying in an online post Saturday morning: “This is about the family having the right to want to grieve their son, and no one, no one should disrespect that.”
