CHICAGO – In a powerful tribute on Wednesday, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation honored officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
During the day of remembrance, another name was etched onto the Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Officer Krystal Rivera.
What’s next:
Officer Krystal Rivera’s name is now forever part of the Gold Star Families Memorial Wall, located on the Museum Campus, where she joins 606 fallen brothers and sisters in blue.
Including Rivera, there are now 607 officers’ names etched into the granite.
On Wednesday night, all of their names were read aloud during a moving vigil, which shined a light on Chicago’s fallen heroes.
“I am saddened by the familiar loss of this family,” said Maria Marmolejo, chairwoman, CPD Gold Star Families.
Set against the backdrop of Soldier Field, which was illuminated in blue, dozens of police officers stood guard — offering strength to the loved ones of those who never made it home.
“This highlights the importance and power of remembering. Today we live into the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s statement of ‘never forget,’” said Chaplain Kimberly Lewis-Davis with the Chicago Police Department.
One of them is 36-year-old Rivera. She was shot by her partner while the pair was pursuing an armed suspect on the South Side in June.
“An extraordinary human being who did extraordinary things. Choosing a life of service, wanting to help people, doing the work most others choose not to do,” said Chicago Police Department Supt. Larry Snelling.
Now, her memory is enshrined on the Gold Star Families Memorial Wall. Her star number (#19020) was repeated during a ceremony Wednesday afternoon in her honor.
“Thank you to the family of Police Officer Krystal Rivera for giving us their angel,” Snelling said.
Rivera’s mother also spoke at the event.
“As her mother, my heart is shattered,” Yolanda Rivera said. “She was my heart, my pride, my greatest joy. She was not only a protector of the community, but a light to everyone who knew her.”
“We will remember how Krystal lived, that is what makes her a hero,” added Phil Cline, director of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation.
During the vigil, Rivera’s name was read for the first time, along with Officer Enrique Martinez, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop last November, Lt. Edward O’Neill, who suffered a fatal heart attack on the job in 1972 while providing security detail for a presidential candidate, and Probationary Patrolman Benjamin Devlin, who died in 1922 after inhaling toxic fumes during a rescue mission.
This marked the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s 22nd annual vigil, which is its hallmark event each summer.
