Page 47 - November 2020

The fourth annual CPMF 2020 Valor Awards honored 16 officers virtually on Oct. 22 with a celebratory video detailing their heroic responses.
Officer Angelo Wells in the 10th District was one of the 13 officers rec- ognized during the awards evening.
CPMF Executive Director Phil Cline (left) awards Ricky Abt, vice president of ABT Electronics, the CPMF Golden Vest Award for his continued support of law enforcement.
A presentation from the Chicago Police Department Bagpipes and Drums of the Emerald Society began the evening with a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
Hearts of Valor
The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s 2020 Valor Awards celebration offered a virtual honor to some of CPD’s bravest
n BY KAREN JENKINS
The Bagpipes and Drums of the Emerald Society Chicago Police Department treated attendees to a rousing rendition of “Amazing Grace” on Oct. 22 to kick off the much-antici- pated evening. After the conclusion of the song, the screen presenting the performance faded to black.
And then, in ceremonious declaration, came the an- nouncement, “Welcome, everyone, to the 2020 virtual Valor Awards.”
The fourth annual Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s (CPMF) Valor Awards celebration was relegated to computer screens across the nation this year due to the ongoing pan- demic.
Despite not including a dinner, the celebration drew 500 people across five platforms who tuned in to the CPMF’s 7 p.m. livestream to honor the 16 brave Valor Award honorees from the Department, along with Ricky Abt of ABT Electron- ics, who received the Golden Vest Award for his continued support of law enforcement.
Of this year’s 16 honorees, there were 10 officers involved in shooting incidents and 13 officers shot, with eight of the officers directly saved by their bulletproof vests. The live- stream flipped through a pre-recorded montage of testimo- nials to these heroes.
Levon London, an officer in the 2nd District, was shot in the leg while chasing an offender previously wanted for bran- dishing a handgun. Aaron McClelland, also in the 2nd Dis- trict, was shot in his right leg on June 9.
“In that situation, so much goes through your mind,” Mc- Clelland said in a clip from the montage. “From the train- ing that we receive and my prior experience in the military, things kick in that you didn’t even know were there.”
Angelo Wells in the 10th District was shot in the right femur on Aug. 5 while assisting on a domestic. Andres Cuenca in the 25th District was shot through a door and was struck in the left shoulder, with the bullet traveling through his neck to his vertebrate.
Isaac Verala and Luis Otero II in the 12th District were
called in to assist in a traffic stop, when a struggle ensued on the ground. Verala was shot and then Otero was shot, punc- turing his lung, colon and diaphragm.
“Thankfully, I’m still here,” Otero expressed in the video. “That is just the life of a police officer. You can go out, and you don’t know if you’re going to make it home that day.”
Jason Cloherty and Timothy Vasiliadis in the 25th District were assisting in a prisoner transport when Cloherty was shot in the neck and Vasiliadis exchanged gunfire with the offend- er.
And Nathaniel Hollis in the 15th District, who only had a year and a half on the job at the time of his June shooting incident, was shot directly in the chest while responding to a domestic. Luckily, his vest allowed him to walk away from the incident with no injuries.
Hollis tuned in to the awards ceremony from his Hermosa home, along with his wife. When he received an email in Au- gust telling him that he would be a 2020 Valor Awards honor- ee, the new officer wasn’t sure what the award meant.
“I have one guy I work with, he basically explained what it was and why you receive it,” Hollis laughed. “It was actually very cool to see and hear what some of the other guys actually went through. Honestly, they’re the bigger heroes.”
The evening’s livestream raised $29,910 throughout the night for the CPMF’s Get Behind the Vest campaign, which outfits officers in free-of-charge bulletproof vests. The pro- ceeds will enable the purchase of 59 brand-new vests at $500 each.
As a special treat at the end of the awards ceremony, singer and former Chicagoan Richard Marx tuned in to sing a live version of “Right Here Waiting” from his living room couch. His performance was the triumphant crescendo to a night of honor for the 2020 Valor Award recipients and a rallying cry to keep moving forward during an unprecedented year.
“I’m really happy and proud to be part of honoring these of- ficers for their incredible service and bravery,” he expressed. “I’m going to dedicate this to all you guys out there. Stay safe, and you’re really and truly heroes.”
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