Fallen Chicago police officers honored at Illinois State Capitol
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) – The annual Peace Officers Memorial Service, which honors officers who died in the line of duty, was held at the State Capitol grounds in Springfield on Thursday.
The mother of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, 29, who was murdered during a traffic stop in 2021, spoke about losing her daughter.
"I will never forget Ella on that metal table that night, but that loss was not the worst feeling in the world," said Elizabeth French. "Missing her everyday for the rest of my life is much much worse than that."
Thursday's service honored two more Chicago police officers who were killed last year, Areanah Preston and Andrés Vásquez Lasso. Officers who have not yet been officially included in the memorial were also recognized.
Vásquez Lasso, 32, died in the line of duty responding to a domestic call in Gage Park in March of 2023. He was shot and killed trying to apprehend a suspect that had run into a school playground, armed with a gun.
Preston, 24, had just completed her shift on the Far South Side in May of 2023 and was heading home when she was shot multiple times just yards from her home.
