Page 10 - March 2022

FIELD REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT
She gave her life to protect children
On Sept. 22, 1988, I drove with my father to his of- fice. He worked at Peoples Federal Savings and Loan at 1618 W. 18th St. My fa- ther had the radio on an AM news station. The radio announced that multiple people, including Chicago Police Officers, had been
shot at 1300 S. Ashland Ave., the Moses Montefiore school.
I vividly remember my father saying that it was not far from where we were, less than a mile away. As the news con- tinued and more information became available, reports revealed that a de- ranged man had killed four people, in- cluding a Chicago policewoman, and wounded her partner, Gregory Jaglows- ki.
Officer Irma Ruiz was shot and killed inside the school while protecting the students from this deadly shooting spree. The offender was fatally shot by Ruiz’s partner, Officer Jaglowski.
Officer Ruiz, 40 years old and the mother of four children, was a hero, giv- ing her life protecting children during the shooting. This tragedy impacted my life, and after it, I changed my course of study to a major in criminal justice.
Officer Ruiz was survived by her hus- band, Peter, and her children, Peter, Irma, Philip and John.
I reached out to Officer Ruiz’s daugh- ter and asked her if it would be OK to hang a picture of her mother in my of- fice. I explained that her mother, a hero, had influenced me to become a police officer.
In October 2021, I had the honor of meeting Irma Ruiz Collins, Officer Ruiz’s daughter. She came to Chicago Lodge 7 for a visit. Irma sat with me and President Catanzara as we spoke about her mom. She stared at the picture on the wall and said, “Wasn’t my mother so beautiful?”
I responded, “Yes, she was.” In a later conversation, Irma Ruiz Collins and I spoke about tributes that had been giv- en in honor of her mother. Officer Ruiz has a school, a park and a Chicago Po-
10 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2022
lice Mounted Unit horse named in her honor. The horse’s name is Ruiz, and he was retired last spring. By coincidence, Ruiz was put out to pasture on a farm in Iowa owned by Irma Ruiz Collins’s col- lege roommate.
Collins told me about her mother’s friend in the Secret Service who was detailed to President Ronald Reagan. When President Reagan found out that one of his agents was friends with Offi- cer Ruiz, Air Force One made a special stop at Meigs Field. The Ruiz family went on board and left with a jar of Jelly Belly jelly beans, one of the president’s favorite snacks.
Collins shared some other tidbits about her mom’s life with me, including that she was born in Harlingen, Texas and later moved to Chicago. Her first language was Spanish. She was strong in her faith. She was a very caring, wise, tough woman who had a sharp sense of humor, was verbally assertive and could read people.
Officer Ruiz was one of the first Lati- na police officers in the department
and became a police officer because she wanted better opportunities for her children. She loved children and ani- mals. She tried to hug a child whenever she could, and she rescued many pets from the streets, including dogs, cats, rabbits and birds.
Officer Ruiz loved her job and went to work in the Youth Division, where she felt like she was helping people. Officer Irma Ruiz is a hero.
I want to thank the Ruiz family for sharing some memories of their mom. You are forever a part of our police fam- ily. We will never forget to honor your mother for the sacrifice she made for many families and children.
The Ruiz family has trusted Lodge 7 by giving the FOP four uniform shirts worn by Officer Ruiz to be made into Blue Line Bear teddy bears. The bears will be presented to the family later this summer. For more details on these bears, go to https://bluelinebears.org/.
MONICA ORTIZ
Irma C. Ruiz
Chicago Police Officer
End of Watch: Sept. 22, 1988