Chicago honors four fallen officers at Gold Star Memorial ceremony

CHICAGO - A somber ceremony was held Wednesday to honor four fallen Chicago police officers, whose deaths span more than a century.

Families of the fallen officers, Chicago police leaders and supporters were in attendance as four names were added to the Gold Star Memorial Wall, including one officer who was injured on the job in 1987 but died from his injuries in August. 

Officer James Crowley was injured when he was in a traffic accident while working and was only 22 years old. He died Aug. 22 of this year. 

This ceremony was hosted by the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. 

There were three other names unveiled during the event – Detective Todd Gillerlain, who died in 2020 while responding to a homicide investigation, Lt. Edward O'Neil, who died in 1972 from a fatal heart attack while on duty and Patrolman Benjamin Devlin, who died in 1922 from breathing in fumes during a paint factory fire. 

Devlin's great-granddaughter said it was her mother who started the process to get her father's name added to the wall. 

"Today is a meaningful day for anyone who is in a police family and in public safety in general. This was a mission of my mother's, who unfortunately passed before she could see this. So, it's extra meaningful," said Kathleen Gargano. 

This memorial and park is located on the lakefront, just east of Soldier Field. 

For more information about the foundation, follow this link.