4 police officers, teen overcome by heat outside Ella French funeral
CHICAGO - Four police officers and a teenager were overcome by heat during the funeral of slain Police Officer Ella French on Thursday.
The officers were among hundreds who gathered outside St. Rita's of Cascia in the Wrightwood neighborhood, as space inside the church was limited.
Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said the officers and teen had been standing in direct sunlight and suffered possible heatstroke.
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"This is probably the largest police funeral I’ve seen in many years, and many officers were outside in direct sunlight in full dress uniform," Langford said.
Courtesy of the Chicago Fire Department
The officers and teen were transported to local hospital and were all expected to recover, he said.
The city sent several cooling buses to the scene and members of the Chicago Fire Department distributed water to people waiting outside.
The feels like temperature in Chicago on Thursday is around 86 degrees with high humidity.
Hundreds of policemen from various departments attend the funeral for Chicago Police Officer Ella French on August 19, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)