Slain Chicago police officer remembered as loving husband, standout colleague
DES PLAINES, Ill. - The funeral service and honor guard ceremonies for fallen Chicago police Officer Samuel Jimenez brimmed with emotion at a Des Plaines shrine Monday as police officers steeled themselves against a post-blizzard landscape to pay tribute to their comrade and show support for his grieving family.
From friend and fellow Officer Rafael Villegas' touching tribute to a soaring rendition of "Amazing Grace," the ceremony at the Chapel of St. Joseph at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe was a heart-wrenching memorial to a promising young cop, a victim of yet another burst of Chicago's gun violence.
"I love you, brother," Villegas said at the end of his ringing remembrance, pointing skyward. Calling Jimenez "one true friend," Villegas finished his tribute by stepping down from behind the lectern to kneel before his friend's casket, delivering a loving kiss to its side.
Jimenez, a 28-year-old officer who was killed early last week
