The Chicago mayor has spent the last several months string up racial tensions and pushing to defend the police. Well, local police finally gave mayor Lori Lightfoot a taste of what she really deserves. Unfortunately, it came after great cost as Chicago PD now morns the loss of one officer.
Officer Ella French, 29 years old, was fatally shot during a traffic stop in the city’s West Englewood neighborhood Saturday night, while her partner was hospitalized and said to be “fighting for his life.” Three people were arrested in connection with the incident, according to NBC Chicago.
Lightfoot showed up to the hospital where French’s partner lays fighting for his life, to pull a publicity stunt. Chicago PD ruined her big photo-op in one simple, but clear, gesture:
Ald. Ray Lopez, who represents the 15th Ward, which borders the community where French was shot and killed, posted a photo to Facebook showing several officers at the hospital, with their backs facing the camera.
“They turned their back to the mayor just as she has turned her back on the rank and file time and time again,” he wrote.
Here is your police turning their backs on Lightfoot speaking at the hospital. Use at your leisure sir Alderman pic.twitter.com/GX2NzVEss6
— Irishlords (@Irishlords1) August 8, 2021
The mayor’s press office provided a statement to Fox News, saying, “In a time of tragedy, emotions run high and that is to be expected.”
“The Mayor spoke to a range of officers that tragic night and sensed the overwhelming sentiment was about concern for their fallen colleagues,” the statement read. “As the Mayor stated yesterday, now is not the time for divisive and toxic rhetoric or reporting. This is a time for us to come together as a city. We have a common enemy and it is the conditions that breed the violence and the manifestations of violence, namely illegal guns, and gangs. The Mayor is focused on healing the wounds and will reject any and all that try to use this moment to drive further divisions in our city.”
Dozens of shooting incidents across Chicago over the weekend left 13 people dead and 73 injured.
In the period beginning Friday at 6 p.m. and ending at midnight Sunday, the Chicago Police Department recorded 54 shooting incidents, statistics show.
Chicago Police Department Supt. David Brown said Sunday that French, her partner and another officer were fired upon after approaching a vehicle with three occupants during a traffic stop in West Englewood on Saturday. Three suspects are currently in police custody.