Chicago police official skipped ‘sacred’ ritual at slain cop’s send-off
The second-in-command of the Chicago police force ignored a “sacred” ritual by skipping the playing of bagpipes during the final send-off for slain Officer Ella French – impatiently declaring, “We don’t have 20 minutes for this s—.”
First Deputy Police Superintendent Eric Carter enraged cops who gathered Saturday night to bid farewell to the late officer, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
“We don’t have 20 minutes for this s—,” said Carter, who demanded that the ambulance bearing her body be taken directly to the medical examiner’s office without waiting for the Emerald Society’s tradition, according to the paper.
“We’re not waiting on the bagpipes. Go ahead and get the vehicle inside. Take it all the way inside. Do not stop,” Carter is heard saying in a recording, the Sun-Times reported.
Former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy called the bagpipes ritual for fallen officers “sacred” — and said it was “inexcusable” for Carter to skip it.
“There’s always enough time. Let’s put it that way. If we had to wait two or three days, I would have done it,” McCarthy told the Sun-Times.
“It would be a stretch to think that they would want to get behind a leader who doesn’t respect something that sacred,” he said when asked if Carter can regain the respect of rank-and-file cops.
McCarthy later said in an appearance on Fox News: “The officers here in CPD and probably across the country … feel under attack by politicians and the public. Most of them feel like they’re not being supported by their leadership.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot reportedly backed Carter’s decision after initially insisting during a news conference that the reports about the second-in-command were false, according to Fox News.
“It’s so important, the sacred nature of rituals, certainly within policing,” McCarthy told Fox News’ “The Story.” “If there’s an excuse for what happened, then maybe, you know, Eric should talk about it publicly himself. … I think it’s all damage control at this point.”
Alderman Anthony Napolitano, a former firefighter and police officer, acknowledged that Carter was under major stress when French was killed and her partner seriously wounded — but said that’s no excuse for his behavior.
“Give them just that respect at that time, which those officers needed because this is what creates that post-traumatic stress that they go through constantly in this war zone of a city that we have. To take that away from them in that moment was wrong,” Napolitano told the Sun-Times.
“I hope it was just a miscalculation or something done in error. But the way that was presented, the way that looks, that is just terrible. You don’t do that to your soldiers at all,” he added.
Police spokesman Don Terry said he had no comment when asked by the paper whether Superintendent David Brown agrees with the way Carter handled the situation.
He said he only wanted to remind everyone “what an emotionally difficult and painful night that was — and continues to be — for everyone involved.”
The mayor’s office declined to comment to the paper.
Meanwhile, when Lightfoot visited a hospital where the injured officer was taken, rank-and-file cops who were standing vigil turned their backs on her.
French, 29, was fatally shot and her partner critically injured after they pulled a car over on the city’s South Side on Saturday.
Emonte Morgan, 21, and his 22-year-old brother Eric, both convicted felons, have been charged in the brazen attack.
Emonte, who confessed to the cold-blooded slaying, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
His brother was facing weapons and obstruction charges, prosecutors said.
