Why Illinois flags are at half-staff, and how long they'll remain that way
Flags remain at half-staff in Illinois Friday to honor a Chicago police officer who was killed earlier this month in the line of duty. Thursday, a notice from the Department of Central Management Services said it received direction from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office that all locations under the Illinois Flag Display Act should fly flags in half-staff beginning at sunrise for fallen Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez. Martinez, 26, was killed Monday, Nov. 4 while conducting a traffic stop in the city’s East Chatham neighborhood. Martinez was just shy of his third anniversary with CPD when he was killed. A visitation for Martinez is planned for Sunday, Nov. 17 between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Blake-Lamb Funeral Home in Oak Lawn, with funeral services planned for 10 a.m. Monday at the t. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel. Darien McMillian, 23, the man suspected of shooting and killing Martinez was on electronic monitoring at the time of the incident and had been previously convicted of a felony, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling. McMillian was facing several charges associated with the incident, including two counts of murder, felony attempted murder, possession of a machine gun and burglary charges, officials said. “Our officers go out and face this type of danger every single day,” Snelling said. “And this work is unpredictable. We never know what’s in store for our officers when they’re out there trying to keep the public safe. And just remember, in a city where our officers are not safe, its going to be hard for everyone else to be safe.” According to the state’s Department of Central Management Services, flags were expected to remain at half-staff through sunset on Monday, Nov. 18.
Flags remain at half-staff in Illinois Friday to honor a Chicago police officer who was killed earlier this month in the line of duty.
Thursday, a notice from the Department of Central Management Services said it received direction from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office that all locations under the Illinois Flag Display Act should fly flags in half-staff beginning at sunrise for fallen Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez.
Martinez, 26, was killed Monday, Nov. 4 while conducting a traffic stop in the city’s East Chatham neighborhood. Martinez was just shy of his third anniversary with CPD when he was killed.
A visitation for Martinez is planned for Sunday, Nov. 17 between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Blake-Lamb Funeral Home in Oak Lawn, with funeral services planned for 10 a.m. Monday at the t. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel.
Darien McMillian, 23, the man suspected of shooting and killing Martinez was on electronic monitoring at the time of the incident and had been previously convicted of a felony, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling. McMillian was facing several charges associated with the incident, including two counts of murder, felony attempted murder, possession of a machine gun and burglary charges, officials said.
“Our officers go out and face this type of danger every single day,” Snelling said. “And this work is unpredictable. We never know what’s in store for our officers when they’re out there trying to keep the public safe. And just remember, in a city where our officers are not safe, its going to be hard for everyone else to be safe.”
According to the state’s Department of Central Management Services, flags were expected to remain at half-staff through sunset on Monday, Nov. 18.
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