Hundreds gather to pay respects to fallen Chicago police officer
CHICAGO (CBS) – Hundreds of mourners came from all over the state and, in some cases, across the country to pay their respects to fallen Chicago Police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso on the day of his funeral on Thursday.
It was a day of reflection for many. CBS 2's Andrew Ramos spoke to some who gathered along the procession route who felt it was important to be there.
Flashes of blue and red lit up 79th Street as the procession to lay Vásquez Lasso to rest got underway.
Officers from Aurora, Hammond, Lincolnwood, and Arlington Heights were among the many departments represented.
During the procession from the funeral home to the church, students from Queen of Martyrs School in Evergreen Park held up signs showing support for the officer killed in the line of duty. Hundreds of students from Christ the King School also lined the street.
Many others, some who lived in the neighborhood, took a moment from their day to pay their respects.
Shaun Simmons, born and raised in Chicago, has many friends on the force. He said the fear of a loved one going to work and not coming home is always on his mind.
"You know we are all in it together," Simmons said. "We all got to treat each other with respect and come together and love one another."
For Kenneth Wiggins, he hopes the loss serves as a wake up call and made the case for more intervention with youth and violence.
"I was really hurt because a young teenager shot him," Wiggins said. "And for no reason at all, no reason."
The alderperson in the 19th Ward announced plans to honor Vásquez Lasso with a soccer match to be played in his honor in the coming weeks because he was a big fan of the game.
