Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is set to attend a fallen officer’s funeral – despite the family saying he’s not welcome there.
Johnson, who has been branded the country’s ‘most hated mayor,’ announced on Friday that he would be attending Officer Enrique Martinez’s funeral.
‘Mayor Johnson will attend honors funeral services and celebration of life for Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez,’ the statement read. ‘It is the Mayor’s honor to support the officers of the entire Chicago Police Department, especially in moments of grief.’
The 26-year-old officer was shot on Chicago’s Southside during a traffic stop of a vehicle with three people inside when one passenger opened fire on November 4.
His funeral will be held on Monday, and the family held a press conference on Friday to ask the 48-year-old mayor to stay home.
A spokesperson for the family said at a Friday press conference: ‘They definitely do not want the mayor at any of the functions for Enrique,’ according to WGN-TV.
The mother of fallen Officer Luis Huesca, was also at the press conference, where she implored the mayor to follow the family’s wishes.
‘If the mayor really wants to honor, in this case, Enrique Martinez’s family, he must respect family wishes,’ she said. ‘This is about the family’s wishes.’
She also didn’t want the mayor at her son’s funeral, according to WGN-TV.
John Catanzara, the president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, said Johnson has not called the family and he suspects it’s to allow him deniability that he was unwanted at the services.
‘If he didn’t believe the message was true, all he had to do was pick up the phone and call the family, but he didn’t want to do that because he knew what they would tell him, and the message was loud and clear,’ Catanzara said, according to WGN-TV.
The family has also requested Governor JB Pritzker not to attend the services either, according to the outlet.
A spokesperson for the governor told WGN-TV the politician will respect the family’s wishes and not attend the services.
The alleged shooter, Darion McMillian, 23, has been arrested on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and one count of burglary.
Former classmates and teachers remember Martinez as the ‘most hilarious’ person.
‘He’s the most hilarious person I’ve ever known in my entire life,’ Marisa Galvan told WGN-TV. ‘We were always laughing.’
His loved ones remember that Martinez always wanted to become a Chicago police officer and he was just two months away from celebrating three years on the force.
‘He was proud of his brother when he became a police officer,’ his former teacher Lynn Connor told the outlet. He was going to do the same thing. When I heard he became a police officer, I was like: “Atta boy … so proud of him.”‘
A GoFundMe has been started for the family. It has garnered $58,373 toward its $60,000 goal.
‘We invite you to come together to help ease the financial burden that his family now faces, from immediate expenses to future needs,’ the fundraiser said.
Martinez leaves behind his parents, Rosa and Adrian Sr., sister Angelica, brother Adrian and his girlfriend, Lesly, whom he has been with for 10 years.
Johnson has done more than anger the Martinez family, but many in the city.
Every member of the Chicago Board of Education threatened to resign after the city’s Democrat mayor allegedly tried to strongarm them into firing the public schools CEO amid tense contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union.
The board members reportedly grew frustrated with Mayor Brandon Johnson after he tried to get them to force out brash Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez.
By doing so, Mayor Johnson allegedly hoped to approve a high-interest, short-term loan, which was designed to fill a budget gap and subsidize a new teachers union contract.
In the spring, he also unveiled that he was seeking $70 million of taxpayer money to help 38,000 migrants.
Johnson briefed city council members on plans in April to push through the funds to keep the city’s response to helping migrants afloat.
The $70million would add to the $150million already set aside in the 2024 budget for the response to the migrant problem.