Why are flags flying half-staff in Illinois on Friday?
CHICAGO (CBS) — Flags in Illinois are flying at half-staff through Monday in honor of fallen Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez, who was killed in the line of duty earlier this month.
Martinez, 26, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Nov. 4 in the East Chatham neighborhood. Police and prosecutors have said Darion McMillian shot and killed Martinez and the driver of the car McMillian was in. McMillian has been charged with murder.
Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday ordered flags in Illinois flown at half-staff from Thursday morning through Monday night.
Martinez joined the Chicago Police Department in 2021, and served for nearly three years.
The visitation for Martinez will be held on Sunday at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home followed by a funeral mass on Monday at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel.
Officer killed in shooting on city's South Side
Prosecutors said Martinez and his partner responded to a call in the East Chatham neighborhood on Monday night.
That call turned out to be a false report, but while they were in the area, they saw a Ford Escape double parked in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue. Martinez approached the driver's side, while his partner was on the passenger side.
Prosecutors said McMillian was in the front passenger seat of the car as officers approached, when police noticed him reaching for a backpack at his feet.
The officers repeatedly ordered him to stop, but instead McMillian pulled out a .40 caliber handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine.
Prosecutors said, as McMillian fired at Martinez, he also shot his own friend, Mario Chambers, who was in the driver's seat. Martinez was shot five times. Chambers was shot multiple times in the face.
After fleeing the scene of the shooting, McMillian later crashed the car and ran into a woman's apartment, where he tried to cut off an electronic monitoring device he was wearing, before police caught him and took him into custody, according to prosecutors.
McMillian was charged with first-degree murder along with other charges. Last week, a judge ordered him to remain in custody.
