Page 34 - June 2017 Newsletter

COMING OUT ON TOP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33
Perhaps the most memorable aspect of Top Cops, though, results from the way the love is showered on the honorees. The evening was filled with more standing ova- tions than a Cubs World Series game, and the opportu- nity to pay homage to heroic law enforcers attracted top TV cops, including Jeremy Ratchford who portrayed De- tective Nick Vera on Cold Case, Gregory Jbara, who plays NYPD Deputy Commissioner Garrett Moore on Blue Bloods and Steve Zirnkilton, the signature voice of NBC’s Law & Order franchise, as presenters.
Zirnkilton described “how the city of broad shoulders wrapped its arms around these Top Cops” when calling the CPD officers to accept their award. You can only imag- ine what they must have been thinking as they stood on stage listening to the applause reverberate.
“Their training, their dedication and their devotion to win the fight brings us all honor,” praised Dave Rodri- guez, the sergeant who supervises the Chicago Top Cops in the 11th District. “They’re strong, they’re veterans and they know how to do their job.”
His intent was to kill an of cer
Here’s how they did their job, including details these officers had not really shared until the Top Cops awards banquet.
Assets from 011 were diverted that day as part of the de- tail to cover Bernie Sanders’ rally on the 2016 presidential campaign. The district was down to two cars and an eight-
man team for the evening tour, but one of those cars with half the team was sent to ISR training.
Bracho, Cantore, Herrera and Lagunas were left as the only team to patrol, and Rodriguez assigned them to a Polk Street neighborhood on the west side, where a cou- ple of shootings and a homicide had already taken place that day. So they piled into their SUV with Herrera driving, Cantore riding up front and Bracho and Lagunas in the back seat.
The four officers, who each had more than 12 years on, worked together often, becoming good friends on and off the job. So even though they had to double up, they had no qualms about it.
“We were busting chops right before the incident hap- pened,” Herrera recalled. “Lagunas was eating a granola bar he wouldn’t share with anyone. One minute we were laughing, and the next minute we were in a gun battle.”
Cantore was the first to spot 29-year-old Lamar Harris, who had 43 felony arrests on his record, including a con- viction for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. “It was the eagle-eye of Lagunas who said, ‘He’s got it in his left hand,’” Cantore recounted.
Lagunas described Harris as clenching plastic in his left hand, and he saw something protruding. The officers engaged Harris in a conversation when they noticed he dropped the package. They followed him into a courtyard where, “we all saw the gun,” Cantore added.
Harris was at a doorway with his back to the officers when they gave him verbal commands.
34 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2017