Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot attends funeral for slain cop Ella French days after feud with CPD chiefs and officers turning their backs on her: Grieving mom tells mourners that she's 'here with half my heart'
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who police turned their backs on after she reportedly forcing her way into the hospital where slain cop Ella French's family was grieving, joined thousands of uniformed officers at French's funeral Thursday.
The embattled mayor attended St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel, where police from all over the state gathered to mourn the loss of a fellow officer and support French's mom and brother.
Lightfoot didn't speak during the funeral but expressed her condolences on Twitter. She wrote: 'The City of Chicago mourns the loss of one of our finest. My heart hurts for the family, friends and colleagues of Officer Ella French, as we lay her to rest today. May the memories of how she lived carry her loved ones during this difficult time.'
Lightfoot took a seat a few rows in front of French's heartbroken mother Elizabeth French who rose to address the sea of officers there to pay tribute to her slain daughter.
'I'm a mom of two, but I'm here with half my heart,' Elizabeth French, wearing a white blouse, said during the eulogy, which received a standing ovation.
Elizabeth French, in white, and her son Andrew, left, follow the casket of her daughter, Chicago police officer Ella French, after a funeral service at the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel. French was killed and her partner was seriously wounded during a traffic stop on the city's South Side
Elizabeth French, center, and her son Andrew, left, and other family members wait for the arrival of the body of her daughter, Chicago police officer Ella French, who was killed and her partner was seriously wounded during an August 7 traffic stop on the city's South Side
Chicago police officers salute during the playing of Taps after the funeral service for fellow officer Ella French at the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel. French was killed and her partner was seriously wounded during an August 7 traffic stop on the city's South Side
Officer Ella French's mom Elizabeth - flanked by Ella's first partner Joshua Blas (left) and last partner's father Carlos Yanez Sr., a former Chicago cop who took his son's place while he recovers in the hospital - gave an emotional eulogy to a standing ovation
Elizabeth, Yanez Sr. and Blas hug each each after delivering tear-jerking eulogies
Elizabeth French (center in white) and her son Andrew (left) follow the casket Ella's casket after the funeral service
A photograph of fallen Chicago police Officer Ella French is held at the funeral mass for French in St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on Thursday
Elizabeth French, in white, and her son Andrew, left, watch as the body of her daughter, Chicago police officer Ella French, arrives at the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel for a funeral service Thursday
Hundreds of policemen from various departments attended the funeral for Chicago Police Officer Ella French
Chicago Police officers salute as they attend the funeral for Ella French
Lightfoot, who less than a week earlier referred to Ella French as 'Ella Franks,' has been sparring with Chicago PD for months as the number of homicides and rampant gun violence continue to soar.
Data from August showed murders in the city were nearly the same as the number reported last year, but shootings increased by 15 percent and the number of people shot in the city rose by nearly 10 percent year-over-year.
Her soft-on-crime policies that prohibit cops from drawing their weapons and chasing suspects have been blamed for the crime spike and for turning French and her partner 'into sitting ducks' when gunfire erupted during an August 7 traffic stop.
French was killed during the shooting, and her partner Carlos Yanez Jr. was left partially paralyzed with two bullets still lodged in his brain.
Evidence from prosecutors showed both French and Yanez Jr. did not draw their weapons before they were shot.
Two brothers were arrested in the cold-blooded shooting.
Emonte Morgan was charged with first-degree murder of a police officer, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
Eric Morgan was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago police officers appear to stare each other down outside of slain officer Ella French's funeral at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel
This has been the mayor's only public statement since the funeral. She declined to talk to reporters before or after
Police supporters and Lightfoot critics ripped the Chicago mayor for not supporting police and sparring with the police department while the city's crime rate surges
After the shooting, Lightfoot reportedly forced her way into the hospital where officers and French's family were. Cops reportedly turned their backs on her in protest.
In a press conference the next day, she was asked about the incident and denied the claim that she forced her way in while blasting journalists for the 'offensive' questions.
Lightfoot also took heat for not allowing the honor guard to play the bagpipes in a procession that would take French's body from the hospital to the morgue, a police tradition all over the country.
She said the the police who wanted to perform the honor guard were 'hijacking' the night and depriving French's family of a crucial window of time to see her body before the autopsy was carried o
'There was no official honor guard that night', Lightfoot said.
'There was — let me choose my words carefully — well-meaning but not a well-organized group that wanted to hijack the procession, which would have meant that the family would have been delayed exponentially in getting to the morgue.
'And again, given the new restrictions that the new coroner has put in place, that wouldn't have been fair to them and they may have lost an important window of time.'
Chicago police union boss John Catanzara told Fox News that Lightfoot had to shoulder some of the blame for French's death.
Months before this incident - at the end of May - Catanzara announced a vote of no confidence in the mayor, which she responded to by saying, she'll 'proudly wear the no-confidence vote as a badge of honor.'
The relationship has only eroded from there.
Her tweet and presence fired up police supporters and Lightfoot critics, who ripped her in hundreds of tweets venting their disgust and rage when they saw her enter St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel.
Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez, who serves on the public safety committee among other responsibilities, tweeted a picture of Lightfoot walking into the church.
'Our brave men and women still saw you. They didn’t disrespect you but certainly could have lived this moment without you. A person of integrity knows when it’s appropriate to show up or when it’s best to stay home. #NeverForget #EllaFrench,' he tweeted.
Stu Bishop, a Lawrence, Indiana police officer who gained fame during the cable show 'Live PD' and has over 48,000 followers, retweeted Alderman Lopez's tweet saying, '.@chicagosmayor you had no business showing up to this hero’s service! After your continued lack of respect for that department and police in general, a fallen officer’s funeral is the last place you should show up! #StayAway.'
Wicho_Solis tweeted at Lightfoot and said, 'You have some f*****g nerve showing up at officer Ella French's Memorial Service. You are a complete disgrace.'
'Mark T' on Twitter said, 'Mayor @lorilightfoot should be recalled for the total lack of competence. This is what happens when you don't support our people in blue.'
Under the tweet he posted an aerial view of saluting officers and French's casket being loaded into a hearse.
Former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley (left) and Mayor Lori Lightfoot (right) leave the funeral service for Chicago police officer Ella French at the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on August 19
The casket of Chicago Police Officer Ella French is brought through the vestibule before the funeral service for French on August 19
Eric Morgan (left) and Emonte 'Monty' Morgan were said to have been driving with expired license plates, prompting police to pull them over
Stu Bishop, an Indiana police officer with a large social media following because of his role in the reality show 'Live PD,' retweeted the Chicago politician's tweet with his own harsh words of '#StayAway'
People took to Twitter to vent their frustration and anger that Lightfoot attended French's funeral
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