Mayor Johnson says he will no longer attend funeral of Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez at family's request
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Saturday that he will no longer attend the funeral for fallen Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez next week. The announcement comes as the family of the fallen officer asked that he would not be present at the service.
Martinez's funeral is set for Monday of next week.
In a statement, Mayor Johnson said he would not attend the funeral at the request of Officer Martinez's family.
The family of Officer Enrique Martinez continues to be in my prayers as they prepare to lay him to rest. I heard from the family and am honoring their request and will no longer plan to attend the honors funeral services. This has been an emotional two weeks for the loved ones of Officer Martinez, the Chicago Police Department, and the city of Chicago. We all want to do right by Officer Martinez and give his family and the CPD family space to grieve. The focus must remain on Officer Martinez, his loved ones, and the CPD as our city continues to honor his ultimate sacrifice and legacy of service.
Mayor Johnson previously said he would be there with CPD Supt. Larry Snelling. But in a video posted earlier this week, Chicago Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara said Officer Martinez's family had asked Mayor Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker not to attend. Catanzara said this had also happened with the funeral for Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca—who was shot and killed back in April.
"Governor Pritzker rightly immediately acknowledged that and said he would not attend, and honored those family wishes. Mayor Johnson did not," Catanzara said of Huesca's funeral. "Repeatedly, Mayor Johnson's team—and sadly, the Chicago Police Department—tried to convince the family that the mayor was needed and obligated to be at this funeral as part of the honors package."
Catanzara said this was not true—playing a clip of President-elect Donald Trump talking about "fake news" to emphasize his point.
The mayor did not end up going to Huesca's funeral, but Catanzara said the mayor's pattern of insisting on attending a fallen officer's funeral is now repeating itself.
"Well, here we are again—with another fallen hero, another funeral, and another family who has been very clear—they do not want the governor or the mayor to attend," Catanzara said in the video. "Thank you, Governor Pritzker, for acknowledging and respecting the family's wishes. Shame on you, Mayor Johnson, for not either publicly acknowledging it, or calling the family directly, extending your condolences, and telling them you will honor their wishes and not attend the wake or the funeral."
Catanzara said it was not he or the union who was asking Mayor Johnson not to attend, and he was "simply the messenger for the family."
The video was before Mayor Johnson's original plan to attend.
"This mayor better not show up," wounded officer says
On Friday night outside the Chicago Lawn (8th) District police station, 3420 W. 63rd St., members of the FOP and close friends of Officer Martinez's reiterated the point—speaking out in solidarity.
Martinez's own family members did not attend, but the group in front of the police station relayed the message directly to Mayor Johnson that the family does not want him to go to the funeral.
"Enrique Martinez's family called me up this evening and said they cannot do this," said close Martinez family friend George Barzydlo. "They definitely do not want the mayor at any of the functions for Enrique—plain and simple."
Martinez's family says the mayor's policy for public safety placed Martinez and many officers in harm's way.
"Change the policies that put them at risk," said Edith Huesca, the mother of fallen Officer Huesca.
Officer Huesca's mother said she wanted to make sure Martinez's family does not endure the back-and-forth frustration she said she went through with the Mayor's office during her grief.
"If the mayor really wants to honor, in this case, Enrique Martinez's family, he must respect the family's wishes," said Edith Huesca.
Also joining the group was Officer Carlos Yanez Jr., who was seriously wounded in the 2021 shooting that killed his partner, Officer Ella French.
"This mayor better not show up," Yanez said. "That's so disrespectful."
Police said Darion McMillian, 23, shot and killed Martinez, and the driver of the car McMillian was in, during a traffic stop in the East Chatham neighborhood a week ago Monday.
McMillian was on electronic monitoring at the time of the shooting because of an arrest involving a drug test.
Martinez was engaged to be married.
The visitation for Martinez will be held Sunday at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, followed by a mass on Monday, Nov. 18 at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel.
It should be noted that Mayor Johnson was at the hospital the night Martinez was killed, and did offer condolences to the family directly.
The video above is from an earlier report.
