Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot seems to deserve every bit of criticism and condemnation, no matter how many times she tries to racially steer the coverage of her tenure.
After the shooting of two Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers during a traffic stop Saturday night in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city, which saw one of the officers lose their life, it’s being reported that officers that showed up at the hospital the wounded officers were being treated at “turned away and gave [Lightfoot] their backs.”
The fallen officer was identified as 29-year-old Officer Ella French.
“Turning their backs on the mayor was an excellent example of how the hundreds of police officers felt waiting outside the hospital,” Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President (FOP) John Catanzara said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The father of the officer that has so far survived his wounds also reportedly took Lightfoot to task for her possible culpability in the overarching situation that contributed to an incident like this happening.
Related: CPD Officer Killed Over Weekend in Chicago: At Least 11 Dead, 62 Wounded Overall
The Chicago Sun-Times reported:
Just moments before about 30 officers turned their backs on the mayor, Lightfoot tried to talk to the male officer’s father, who himself is a retired Chicago police officer. He clearly wanted nothing to do with Lightfoot, according to two sources who were there.
The father excoriated the mayor and blamed her for what had happened. One source said Lightfoot handled herself well as the father yelled at her. She listened and treated him with respect.
The culmination of events that Lightfoot’s poor decision making and leadership has led to appears to have come to a head.
“They [CPD officers] have had enough and are no longer going to remain silent anymore,” Catanzara also said.
On a side note, Lightfoot declared “an official day of mourning for our city” on Monday and directed all city buildings fly their flags at half-staff in honor of French and the other wounded officer.