Detectives who worked on murder case of CPD Officer Aréanah Preston receive Valor Award
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Families of two fallen Chicago Police officers were awarded Wednesday night for their loved ones' bravery.
Two detectives who worked on one of the officers' cases were also honored.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation held the Valor Awards – offering a moment of healing for the lives cut short.
Under a blue glow, the men and women of the Chicago Police force gathered for the awards ceremony along with loved ones.
Mixed in the crowd were homicide detectives William Hronopoulos and James McNicholas. Combined, they have more than 40 years on the force – and over the years, they have received recognition.
The detectives dusted off their uniforms and made sure to show up at the Valor Awards Dinner.
"Something like I'm humbled for it, but I'd rather not be getting an award," Hronopoulos said.
The two Area 2 detectives are among dozens getting recognized for diligent work on a specific homicide case.
"We're homicide detectives. We got out and try and solve homicides every day," said McNicholas. "This was different."
The murder case to which they were assigned earlier this year was that of Officer Aréanah Preston.
"We didn't do this for ourselves," said McNicholas. "We did this for her family."
As the community paused to remember the fallen officer, the investigative work never stopped.
"Did will all want to go the funeral and pay our respects? Absolutely," said McNicholas. But if we do that, then we might miss something."
"We didn't get home a lot," said Hronopoulos. "It was a round-the-clock effort, 24/7, until we had them in custody."
With 20 years on the force, McNicholas had not pieced together the puzzle of a fallen officer before.
"This was a first for me," he said, "so it really hit home."
The task was just as heavy for the detectives who spent countless man hours in the murder of Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso, who was also shot and killed this year.
So on this night, the foundation thought it was just as important to award the Distinguished Service Award to the men and women who brought some closure to the fallen officer's family. Yet on Wednesday night, the detectives' families got to witness the recognition.
"I'm happy that my wife is there with me," said Hronopoulos. "We didn't see our families a lot during that time, and as much as we sacrificed, our family puts a lot of sacrifice too."
Yet the highest honor came when the families of officers Preston and Vásquez-Lasso took the stage to receive the Valor Award in their honor.
There was a standing ovation as the detectives who put in the work finally got to pay their respects.
