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| The wreckage of Sgt. Alan Haymaker’s patrol car is seen in this 2010 Chicago Tribune photo | Chicago Tribune |
EDITORS’ NOTE: CWB Chicago is sponsoring a certified charity GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s K9’s For Cops program. The Foundation supports the families of Chicago police officers who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
Over the coming days, we will be profiling 19th District (Town Hall) police officers who have been killed in the line of duty while serving the people of our neighborhood.
Learn more about K9’s For Cops and donate to the certified charity campaign HERE.
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| Sgt. Haymaker |
Sgt. Alan Haymaker
Sergeant Alan Haymaker was a third-generation 21-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department when he was dispatched to a burglary in progress call at a now-defunct Verizon Wireless store, 3176 North Clark, on February 22, 2010.
While driving southbound on Lake Shore Drive, Haymaker drove over a patch of ice. His vehicle veered off of the drive and slammed into a tree at Irving Park Road. He later died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Haymaker was survived by his wife, Elaine; three daughters, Melina, Amanda, and Elyse; three brothers, two sisters, and his parents, Catherine and Harry.
He was 56.
One man was charged in connection with the Verizon burglary. He was sentenced to five years and was subsequently released after serving half of that time. He was convicted of burglary again less than a year after being set free and is now serving a 9-year sentence.
Officer Richard Francis
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| Off. Francis |
Officer Francis, a 27-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, was patrolling alone when he responded to a routine call of a disturbance onboard a CTA bus near Belmont and Western on July 2, 2008.
When he arrived on-scene, Francis encountered a woman who frequently had contact with the police.
As he worked to resolve the situation, the woman grabbed his weapon and shot Francis in the head. He fell to the ground motionless. The woman then shot him two more times. Francis died at the scene.
His killer went on to fire at other responding officers who returned fire. The woman was shot, but recovered fully and is sentenced to life in prison.
“You took a loving husband from his wife one year before he was planning to retire,” the judge said at the woman’s sentencing. “You took a devoted father from two daughters that weren’t even his own. You took away from them the man who cared for them.”
Officer Francis was survived by his wife Deborah; and two step-daughters, Bianca and Amanda.
Francis was 60-years-old.
