SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Today at the capitol building, hundreds of people gathered for the annual Police Memorial. Each year, the community gathers to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
This year, two Chicago Police officers killed in the line of duty were added to the memorial. Their names are Andres Mauricio Vasquez Lasso and Aréanah Makayla Preston.
"We will not forget these brave souls," said Governor J.B. Pritzker. "They will live on forever in all the lives that they have touched and in the communities that they have protected."
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While many state leaders spoke, so did those who have personally been impacted by the death of a fallen officer. One of those speakers was Elizabeth French, whose daughter Ella French was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Chicago.
"Since Ella's death, I have learned a few lessons," said Frech. "The first lesson I learned is only two words, and that is that grief sucks. Another lesson that I learned I will never forget Ella on that metal table that night. But that loss was not the worst feeling in the world. Missing her every day for the rest of my life is much much worse than that."
Four other officers names were added to the memorial today. Those included the following officers and their end of watch dates: Officer John Francis Kane, Cicero Police Department, November 12, 1910; Sheriff Ray Boston, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, July 23, 1947; Deputy Sheriff Andrew H. Sloan, Sangamon County Sheriff's Office, January 2, 1951; and Detective Todd C. Gillerlain, Chicago Police Department, May 7, 2020.
These individuals passed away previously, but were not added to the memorial at their time of death.
The Illinois Police Officers Memorial Committee was established in 1985. The monument in Springfield bears the names of the officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities. Every year on the first Thursday of May, they hold a ceremony to pay tribute to fallen officers and their families.
For more information, visit illinoispolicememorial.org.
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