Page 25 - December 2015

Portraits by Peter Bucks
Tributes to officers from the CPD Officer, Lodge 7 member and renowned artist
Two months ago, Lawrence E’Akels made a routine traffic stop while on patrol in the 11th District.
The 46-year-old pulled over a young man in his early 20s who seemed nervous. With any uneasy driver, the Officer’s level of caution was elevated.
“Your mind is going: ‘Is there something in the car that’s illegal?’” E’Akels said.
It turned out the driver was shaky because of the recent media attention paid to police brutality and coverage of officer-involved shootings across the country. Even after being handcuffed and cited for traffic violations, the young man felt comfortable enough to ask to shake E’Akels hand and take a “selfie” with him, he said.
“That made my day,” E’Akels said.
Having a positive impact is among the reasons why E’Akels got into law enforcement 15 years ago. The son of a Chicago cop, E’Akels didn’t decide what he wanted to do until he got to college. But the choice eventually became an easy one.
“I knew I cared about people and I just made a decision,” he shared. “My dad always told me, ‘If you want this job, you have to care about people.’”
When he was a child, E’Akels believed policing was all about catch- ing bad guys.
“But, in truth, as time went by, it’s a lot more than that. It’s interacting with the community,” he said.
E’Akels, who does quarter-mile racing in his spare time, was approached about doing this portrait while out on patrol.
“My wife (Angela) loved it,” said E’Akels, whose family includes three children. “She goes, ‘You look famous.’”
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2015 25
Lawrence E’Akels Star 18217