Officer Succumbs to COVID-19
- A Chicago police officer stricken with COVID-19 has died, making him the first cop in the department to die from the disease, officials said.
The officer, Marco DiFranco, 50, was pronounced dead at 1:02 a.m. Thursday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Furthering the tragedy is the wake and funeral will almost certainly be low-key events as these types of gatherings are currently banned and particularly dangerous for transmission of the disease.
RIP Officer.
RIP Officer.
Labels: officer down
posted by SCC at 5:03 PM
112 Comments:
God bless you officer.
rip officer difranco
May the Almighty Father of the Universe grant are beloved CPD eternal Peace in our Lords Heaven. Please grant and comfort the family of our most fallen hero.
RIP Marco. Always had a smile on his face and a kind word to say when passing . A gentlemen. My prayers to the entire Difranco family .
As a civilian staunch supporter of our wonderful Chicago Police Officers, hearing about the death of Officer DiFranco felt like being punched in the gut. I have heard he was not only a magnificent Officer but also a wonderful gentleman who will be sorely missed. Much love goes to Officer DiFranco's family and also to all our brave, spectacular Officers who are true Centurions. Thank you so much for everything you do! Sincerely, Glenn
Patient 1 on CPD was the detective from IRT, who worked out of the 5th Floor at Homan.
Three weeks ago only one elevator worked at Homan, nobody walks up to 5.
Nobody at Homan decided to get the building cleaned and sanitized, and nothing has been done to this very day, Thursday.
Two day’s after the detective was confirmed COVID positive Kimble ordered all of narcotics teams to sit in their offices on standby.
Think about that for a second.... ordered to go back into the building with the 1st confirmed case of COVID and for those that used it, go back onto the only elevator that worked, which still hasn’t been cleaned or sanitized.
I hope Sal gets a good lawyer and brings a lawsuit against the City for the sake of Marco’s family.
Marco deserved better than this. May God bless his family.
A dark day for all police officers and first responders everywhere.. my condolences to all of my brothers and sisters at the CPD!! God bless the Di Franco Family.
He was taken in a blink of an eye ..his last breath on earth , became his 1st in heaven
RIP, he was my wifes cousin, he was a great friend!
RIP officer. I hope the department gives him full honors, as there’s no doubt this happened on duty
🙏 that saint Michael is watching over him.
I am very sorry to learn of that officers passing and sorry for the misery his family and close co-workers are experiencing.
This may not be appropriate at this time and is off topic, but I am wondering if you folks in blue are allowed to wear the half helmets with the riot face shields attached.
Those face shields could be helpful to protect your face from you coughs, sneezes, saliva, and people spit talking, and you even touching your face especially when out on calls and patrol.
It might help and even save your lives.
Sorry again for your loss. Be safe & alert out there.
Just a citizen.
It's not often I have no words.
We can best show our support and respect for the officer and his family by saying prayers in our own special way on their behalf.
Rest In Peace our brother.
RIP Office.
God bless his family and God speed to the officer, Line of Duty I hope
RIP Officer. G-dspeed.
I knew this guy as a neighbor growing up in the late 1990s when he first got on the job. Very laid back guy
Rest In Peace Marco, I cant believe you left us so soon. I’m going to miss you brother,���� prayers to the family during this difficult time
The death of our brother is a result of the Mayor’s response to protecting her police officers. Her disdain for the CPD was made apparent with the expired safety equipment she handed out. I hope this officer's family sue’s the shit out of the city and the Mayor. God help us through this— Signed an officer who is still without any PPE, mask, gloves, or hand sanitizer. What protective equipment I am using I purchased myself. The City, the Mayor, and this Department don't care if we live or die.
Marco, great police, funny guy and true friend.
RIP Brother, my paesano 🇺🇸🇮🇹
I am so sorry.
RIP, Officer DeFranco.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the CPD.
-ISP Master Sergeant
Another sad moment in the life and times of the CPD working under extraordinary circumstances during a deadly pandemic. The Thin Blue Line lightening up the darkness with bold, dedicated and brave men and women serving and protecting the citizens. Your watch has ended. RIP Brother.
All the Facebook warriors are asking for prayers. You know what that does here??? Nothing. You know what does work??? Stop making arrests. Stop being a scumbag and constantly wash your hands, sanitize uuur hands and wipe down your car and radio religiously. If you feel the LEAST bit sick then stay home. I don’t care if you just have a mild stuffy nose. Until you confirm you don’t have it then stay home.
This better be "Line of Duty"....
RIP soldier! Your Family in Corrections offer our prayers
Groot’s hair raised when the name of Canzanara was spoken. I hope he wins and he can jump right back into her ugly mug and tell everyone how she lied and didn’t tell the media that everything the PD got was expired and that the house mice in 3510 got the stuff first before Holman Sq people did.
The death of our brother is a result of the Mayor’s response to protecting her police officers. Her disdain for the CPD was made apparent with the expired safety equipment she handed out. I hope this officer's family sue’s the shit out of the city and the Mayor. God help us through this— Signed an officer who is still without any PPE, mask, gloves, or hand sanitizer. What protective equipment I am using I purchased myself. The City, the Mayor, and this Department don't care if we live or die.
You are exactly right. Thanks for posting
Homan square has had 8-10 officers test positive. What does the city plan on doing about this. They had all the teams sitting in offices on standby for days. Close the building down and get everyone tested.
My thoughts are with Officer De Franco.
Retired Parole Officer. Former MCC staffer
My $1200 will go to The Brotherhood for the Fallen.
No words can relay the emptiness inside.
This has got to be In The Line Of Duty.
And how sad that a full honors funeral can not happen at this unGODly time.
Somewhere over the rainbow another blue ribbon flies.
Rest in peace Marco. My prayers are with your soul and your loved ones that are left behind.
Riposa in pace, fratello mio
I am a retired CPD officer for 8 years now and hope and pray for all officers, fireman, nurses, doctors and everyone else on the front lines battling this virus from the pit of hell. I implore every soldier in this fight to take all and every precaution to sanitize and protect yourselves whenever possible even if it feels like overkill. Prevention is key! RIP brother.
What a wonderful man and am excellent officer. I will miss you Marco.
What a wonderful man and am excellent officer. I will miss you Marco.
God rest the soul of Officer DiFranco...May God hold his family in the palm of his hand. We stand in solidarity and grief with our CPD brothers and sisters.
- Your brother from the county
God Speed Officer !
Marco, riposa in pace amico mio. Sei stato amato da molti e ci mancherai davvero.
4/02/2020 05:32:00 PM
If true, you should contact a lawyer and a reporter. This needs to get out full steam in the papers and on the tv. I am sure this all ties directly back to the mayor and her contempt for the police.
RIP Officer DiFranco
So very heartbroken for your department and his family. R I P. Sir
RIP Officer DiFranco. Since there can be no visitation or services at this time, how about if Monday at 1030 hours, all personnel stop what they're doing for a moment of silence and raise a slow salute so he has some sort of recognition?
So sad and needless. Prayers hes walking with God and his family finds comfort.
Shame on dumb cpd merits and the Groot.
So very sad.
Where the he’ll is the union in protecting officers here? I mean, the city is indifferent and has plenty of workforce groups to deal with - all who have different needs. It’s somewhat expected that police are ignored...again
The union should be protecting officers as the union is the advocate...
Wtf?
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE...REMEMBER THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF Officer DeFranco IN EVERY WAY YOU CAN THINK OF...
Difranco brothers total studs.They've been putting guys away every year for 20 years. Marco you were such a great guy and a true gentleman. You treated everyone with respect even the criminals.You will be missed my friend
Anonymous Anonymous said...
RIP officer. I hope the department gives him full honors, as there’s no doubt this happened on duty
4/02/2020 06:05:00 PM
On WGN Radio there was a bit on whether the officer contracted the virus on duty or on his own time. Typical.
This will be the new Supe's first trial by fire. His decision how to make it. He should announce ASAP it was LOD. Any time lag and it is all a City of Chicago hand job.
Rest In Peace Brother. May God hold you in his arms and may he give your family the strength,courage and direction.
I'm a retired officer. God bless you and all your brothers and sisters
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020
Officer Down Memorial Page statement on LEO deaths and COVID-19
During this difficult period for Americans and American law enforcement officers, staff at the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) continue to monitor incidents in which law enforcement officers have died as the result of contracting COVID-19. Our hearts go out to all families and agencies that have been affected.
ODMP has established criteria for evaluating the deaths of law enforcement officers as the result of illnesses, such as COVID-19. The portion of our criteria related to illnesses reads *:
Health Related Causes: Any law enforcement officer who dies as a result of any health related cause (illness, disease, infection, etc.) that is a direct result of the officer's law enforcement duties.
Example scenarios:
· Contraction of an infectious disease or illness such as Hepatitis or AIDS
· Contraction of an infection or illness as a result of a duty related illness
· Health related issues due to a HAZMAT incident
Evidence of a direct relation between a duty related incident and the contraction of a disease or illness much be presented in the form of official documentation.
We evaluate each potential case on an individual basis in order to ensure there is clear or presumptive documentation indicating that the illness was, in fact, a direct result of law enforcement duties and not contracted while off duty. We rely on each affected agency to supply the appropriate documentation.
Due to the complex and unique nature of each incident, it often takes much longer than normal to make a line of duty death determination due to illnesses such as COVID-19.
Like all Americans and citizens globally, we continue to pray for a speedy resolution to this pandemic.
agree with above, feel sick? STAY HOME
R.I.P. brother. May GOD welcome you with open arms into his Kingdom. My condolences and prayers to his family.
Marco, you were a true gentleman. I am extremely sad over your passing. I believe we will meet again and I can’t wait to see you .
Rip. I need to ask was this officer that passed the same one that worked on the 5th floor? Or is this a different officer? Reason I’m asking is because if it’s a different officer, homan square should be shut down. Not only that but the department moved officers from there to different units like the medical section etc. how do we know those officers aren’t infected?
RIP Marco. First confirmed case at Homan on 5, now first death on the department from Homan on 2 and hopefully the last. How many officers have had cancer that have worked in that asbestos filled 100 year old factory over the years. Get everyone out of there and tear the place down!!!!!!!! Working in the building we were told by supervisors that 5 has a different ventilation system so don't worry about the first case. BS but we all use the same doors, elevators and swipe machines. Enough is Enough
Soft ball questions from the press. Neither the mayor or the acting would comment on whether this death was in the line of duty. Then the new Supt. Is announced ? Wow, let’s talk about changing the narrative, Lori.
This was absolutely due to the department's failure to follow proper protocol for a highly contagious disease. They pretended that no one would get infected and there was no danger. Complete negligence. When the dept is decimated, what will they do? Put Barb West on the street? Will a pillow stop the virus?
He was a family man, great police man and loved one to many . God bless you and your loved ones
I am so very sorry. God bless you officer, your family and CPD.
Rest in Peace, Officer. And hopefully, the family will get serious compensation for the ***ups made by the city.
... and please, people, treat it seriously. This situation isn't a 'manipulation' on us and 'simple match for tiny brains' states that - if this virus will left unchecked - even 2-3% means tens of thousands deaths.
And simple humanity tells us that every death is a tragedy.
Marco was a great friend and Police officer. When i needed help on or off the job...he was there. Thats how Marco was. Gone to soon brother. Rip..015, 1st watch....1999 etc
RIP Marco, You and Sal were quite the team. Lots of good times. May you rest in peace my brother. Stay strong Sal...God Bless
God bless.
I've been following SSC for 5 years and amazed how the City of Chicago treats their sworn officers. My cousin is a NYPD Sgt and now starting his second week of isolation in his basement. The same is true for the 17 POs from his precint who were told to go home the same day.
What I don't understand is why your Union is not front and center in front of media advocating for your safety, as well as a conttract. The NYPD Union doesn't put up with BS from NYC.
I wish each of you the best, stay safe!
God Speed Officer DiFranco. Condolences to his family and fellow officers.
Lightfoot said that the Department is prepared, there are no orders and no equipment. She is a liar, this poor guy’s family and friends have to live with this due to her incompetence.
You will be truly missed. I’m going miss passing you in the halls and miss your smiling face and you saying to me , “ How you doing “. Always put a smile on my face!! Such a loving warm kind hearted man and an absolute great police officer . RIP brother in blue. Prayers and god bless the Di Franco family.
Line of Duty no questions asked.
Sad beyond words.
The time line matches up with when the City did not properly clean HOMAN square.
Keep in mind now if the City even attempts to give death benefits to the family.
RIP Marco
Officer LP
Unit 213
RIP Brother
Thank you for your service and sacrifice!
God bless your Family.
To his Brothers and Sisters in Blue..
PROTECT YOURSELVES
No one can do that better than YOU!
Don't wait on City or Department!
RIP Brother
Thank you for your service and sacrifice!
God bless your Family.
To his Brothers and Sisters in Blue..
PROTECT YOURSELVES
No one can do that better than YOU!
Don't wait on City or Department!
So where are the test results from the swab I gave on Irving Park a week ago?? No one has contacted me.
God Speed !
4/03/2020 01:49:00 AM
The reason is our FOP is usless and look out only for themselves. Same thing as with the national FOP. You don't hear anything from either of these 2, I guess they are all self isolating. Assholes!
God bless this officer and keep his family healthy. I fear his passing from this will be the first of many, though I hope not.
God Speed Dear Brother. Go walk the streets on Heavens beat cause you have done your time in hell.
Typical city of chicago
Rest in Peace officer
2fm. Fleet facilities on 39th has one person from security test positive about 2 weeks ago and they waited 5 days to send out notification to the employees leaving them possibly at risk. Infected employee left and nothing was said to other employees who had to work over weekend in same close office until the cleaning crew in building showed up on Monday morning.. The person who was instructed to clean area is no showing symptoms
Now a machinist and his wife have tested positive along with a plumber foreman who up until a few days ago were required to sit on the 4th floor in a 25 x 30ft office with at least 25 cubicles
Some people who worked within or near them have been given doctor noted for quarantine but the new personal director Shirley Fischer takes her time processing things and it’s been taking 2-3 days of continual emails asking for approval or clarification if all the paperwork has been properly submitted
A labor is waiting since this morning for a simple answer
And right now we hear that the workers who are setting up the temp 311 center and working in close contact have not been provided with the proper safety devices as they are touching everything
And to top it off the commissioner seems to be a self appointed doctor with him blaming the workers for this problem
The Director of facilities said that masks, Sanitizer gloves are not required as part of PPE and will not be provided But I’m sure she has plenty of them for herself in her office
Per OSHA regulations this is a recordable illness and it should not be confused with PPE equipment
See below what Dr. David Reynolds says now and how he demesnes city workers Basically Acting like we
Below is what was sent to the workers
---------- Forwarded message
Date: Tue, Mar 31, 2020 at 10:55 AM -0500
Subject: Fwd: A
2fm. Fleet facilities on 39th has one person from security test positive about 2 weeks ago and they waited 5 days to send out notification to the employees leaving them possibly at risk
Now a machinist and his wife have tested positive along with a plumber foreman who up until a few days ago were required to sit on the 4th floor in a 25 x 30ft office with at least 25 cubicles
Some people who worked within or near them have been given doctor noted for quarantine but the new personal director Shirley Fischer takes her time processing things and it’s been taking 2-3 days of continual emails asking for approval or clarification if all the paperwork has been properly submitted
A labor is waiting since this morning for a simple answer
And right now we hear that the workers who are setting up the temp 311 center and working in close contact have not been provided with the proper safety devices as they are touching everything
And to top it off the commissioner seems to be a self appointed doctor with him blaming the workers for this problem
The Director of facilities said that masks, Sanitizer gloves are not required as part of PPE and will not be provided But I’m sure she has plenty of them for herself in her office
Per OSHA regulations this is a recordable illness and it should not be confused with PPE equipment
See below what Dr. David Reynolds says now and how he demesnes city workers Basically Acting like we
Below is what was sent to the workers
---------- Forwarded message
Date: Tue, Mar 31, 2020 at 10:55 AM -0500
Subject: Fwd: A
Begin forwarded message:
Subject: AIS COVID 19 Response
++Supervisors - be sure to distribute to staff who don't normally access e-mail.
Over the past couple of weeks I've been preaching CDPH's recommendations to help control the spread of the COVID 19 virus: cover your cough; wash your hands; don't touch your face; maintain social distancing; and stay home if you don't feel well.
It's pretty clear based on recent positive COVID 19 tests in AIS that not everyone is following these recommendations. Here are some additional thoughts to encourage you to take these recommendations to heart.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROTECT YOU
"Wash your hands" and "don't touch your face" are recommendations primarily intended to protect you. Per CDPH the COVID 19 virus is spread when saliva or mucus from an infected individual gets into another person's eyes, nose, or mouth. In the event you become exposed to the COVID 19 virus by touching a surface that has an infected person's saliva or mucus on it, following these recommendations will help prevent transmission of the virus into your eyes, nose, or mouth.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROTECT OTHERS
"Cover your cough" and "stay home if you don't feel well" are recommendations primarily intended to protect others. As I wrote above, CDPH indicates the COVID 19 virus is spread via saliva and mucus from infected individuals. Covering your cough will help reduce the dispersion of saliva and mucus if you are infected. Staying home if you don't feel well is the best way of preventing the spread of COVID 19 since if you are home you cannot expose others.
RECOMMENDATION TO PROTECT YOU AND OTHERS
"Maintain social distancing" is a recommendation intended to protect you AND to protect others. If you are infected and you are more than six feet away from someone who isn't the likelihood you will transmit the virus to them is greatly reduced. If you are not infected and you are more than six feet away from someone who is the likelihood they will transmit the virus to you is greatly reduced.
On this point, let's talk about six feet. I am a little over six feet tall. So if you are maintaining good social distance I should be able to lay on the ground between you and another person and not touch you or the other person.
Here's another way to think about it. All of our mothers taught us not to point at other people; they'll give us a pass in this case. If you are standing or sitting near someone and you extend your arm to point at them, and they extend their arm to point at you, and your fingers can touch, it's very likely you are within six feet of each other, so take a step back!
CONCLUSION
As I wrote earlier it appears an AIS employee who recently tested positive for COVID 19 was not following these recommendations: they stayed at work when they didn't feel well and they did not maintain social distance from at least one of their coworkers (who is okay thus far).
Not to put too fine a point on it, but not following these recommendations is pretty foolish. Not doing so increases the likelihood you will get infected or, if you are infected, you will infect others - which could include your coworkers and your family.
People are dying from COVID 19. Following these recommendations could, literally, save your life and/or the lives of those around you.
Commissioner
I am retired but it still hurts to read of a fallen brother. Or sister. God Bless all our dear heroes.
CPD are first responders, CFD are first responders......
We are as obligated to be out there working as much as the
Doctors, Nurses, medical staff is.....on the front lines.
We are “essential personnel” in this fight......
With NONE of the essential equipment or tools needed
to fight this unseen enemy.....
This is and should be a line of duty death.
May God bless Officer DeMarco and his family....
And may his family know that they will be our family forever!
SCC - I gave it a day before I wrote this post, I wanted to cool my head and I kind of wanted to wake up and hope that this was all just a bad dream. I needed to cool my head because I am so angry about this death, to me, I truly believe that maybe, just maybe it could have been prevented. Maybe I am wrong and I have an open mind and would like to hear that I am wrong, but to me this is what I have laid out....
The Homan Square Facility had the, or one of the first positive COVID cases reported, as Beck I believe said: "A Detective from a Centralized Unit" had tested positive. Contrary to what WHO, CDC and The John Hopkins Website stated at the time, the CPD Leadership and the Exempt Ranking Officers working inside of Homan Square did nothing about the positive case, no cleaning, no sanitizing, no closing off and quarantining - nothing. In fact, some of the "leadership" ordered officers back inside of the building and brushed off suggestions made by concerned officers that things should be cleaned & sanitized. Was it he Commander? Was it the Deputy Chief? It had to be somebody high on the Chain of Command because you had the entire Narcotics Unit sitting in their cubicles and then even had an Inspector come in at 5PM to ensure everyone was in uniform before check off. Not sure is Gang Intel or Gangs did the same thing, but 189, where Marco worked, were all given this "order".
Who does that? Well, it is the same people who passed out defective, expired and unstable hand sanitizer to the front line workers. The same people who hurriedly and rapidly put together COVID Kits for the front line workers after the fact - kits that were put together in an unsanitary location by unregulated workers. Then each day these same people sent E-mails that would state more members were infected with COVID and then used HIPAA Laws to not tell anyone where the infected cases were reported from. Could they have done more about that...?? IDK, maybe somebody more educated in HIPAA could answer that. Naively, I think it would have been nice to know that District X, or Area Z had an infected person to warn others. Again, I'm not a HIPAA expert so maybe they did do the best they could - my 30 years of being a LEO has given me a sardonic wit.
At the end of each E-mail Beck would incredulously say that the CPD cared about us - Save the watch! Are you shitting me?
These are the facts as I see them:
Positive COVID Case at Homan
Nothing Done, Cleaned or Sanitized
More Positive COVID Cases at Homan
Quickly Pass out COVID Kits
Still Nothing Done, Cleaned or Sanitized
Death from COVID from Homan
Still Nothing Done
Maybe I am wrong in my timeline or facts, that is why I said "as I see them" - but if I am wrong, please somebody respond and challenge what I have written. I am an adult I can take criticism and I can take it if my memory/facts might be out of line or out of sequence. However, I will not accept the company line - I KNOW that the CPD does not give a shit about us, nor does The Office of the Mayor.
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Perplexed Central Chicago said:
Thankfully, as of 1030AM this morning, Marco will receive Line of Duty Death benefits.
They did the right thing.
That is all I ever wanted.
Godspeed
Police Officer assigned to a unit dies , may he rest in peace
why are police district still open to the public , homeless sleeping on floors , this is a pandemic , 1,000's will die and city of Chicago p[uts police officers at risk
LL you stripped a police officer that was attempting to write a drinker a ticket , that drinker resisted arrest , licked and spit in a police officers face , that police officer took the person down , never kicked or punched him , yet you made this a racial incident , you acted as if it was excessive force . It wasn't and I bet your new Police Chief would agree 100% .
I'm over here in sunny Texas. Are police stations still open to the public? Look at what is happening to the Detroit police department. No Osha complaints from the FOP?
Don’t know the officer, but I’m saddened by his death. Work with people who knew him or his brother and they say nothing but good things about the officer and his family. This may enrage people but I need to say this. I disagree with his death now being classified as line of duty. That classification is sacred in my opinion. Officer Di Franco had other medical conditions, including a lung disease. Who knows where he was infected? Could have been at McDonalds, Jewel, the gym, 7-Eleven, Binnys, a restaurant, and on and on. Sorry, but that’s my feeling. Line of duty deaths are, “classified as the death of an active sworn member by felonious or accidental means during the course of performing police functions while on or off duty”. That retired star case at 35th Street should be reserved for officers killed in the line of duty.
This officer and his family deserve nothing less than full line of duty pay and benefits. Unfortunately, the city will do what it does best, which is to scam and steal from those most vulnerable. The city pays out millions every year to criminals who win bullshit lawsuits or settlements, but they will fight tooth and nail to compensate a fallen officer.
Officer Rest In Peace your service to your community should NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. My family is mostly Police but I moved to the dark side & retired from the fire dept. when we lose one of own Police OR Fire it is a huge loss to his/her brother’s & sister’s. Will a fund be started for his children? Please post because it is the LEAST we can do. God bless you & your family Officer
Marco was an Excellent officer who worked hard and devoted his life to serve the citizens of this great city. Marco did so Not for the Attaboy's and accommodations that he so rightly merited , but because he loved doing his job.
Marco's passion and relentless goal was to put away the bad guy and he executed his mission well. No mission was to dangerous, no sacrifice was to great, and no was not in his vocabulary.
Few understand the risk (s) and true danger involed in working in his capacity. Where one is alone, w/no back up, and often in dark places among those who will not hesitate to kill you.
Marco did this for over 20 years with no complaints and went above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference in the lives & communities he served and protected.
Unfortunately, it has to be said that the proximate contributing cause for Marco's unexpected and tragic passing can be attributed to his unwavering loyalty to CPD and the Mayor's and Beck's failure to adequately protect him.
After the first outbreak was leaked that an officer at Homan square tested positive for Covid19 a few weeks ago. Marco's unit loyally followed an order to shelter in place ( aka on stand by, in 10x10 offices) at Homan square. Homan square was not shut down, officers were not ordered to stand by in the field, none were sent home, and none were offered immediate testing.
Now it is no secret to the Mayor and Beck and among the entire CPD Rank and File that Homan Square is a poorly ventilated building with various environmental hazards /OSHA violations.
The order to shelter in place at Homan Square some may argue was reckless and went against CDC, State and, City guidelines.
Ironically, the Mayor and CPS took immediate action and shut down a Portage Park school(a month ago) after a teacher tested positive for Covid19.
However, not the Mayor, Not Beck and Not one Command Staff member gave the order to shut down Homan Square. Instead the imprudent order to shelter in place at Homan Square was given.
Now I ask myself after assessing the situation per general order what is the next step in a Hazmat situation?
Evacuate the area in order to mitigate exposure and to prevent great bodily harm and /or death.
Mayor any thoughts or Did Californication get out of Dodge to avoid being criticized?
I doubt you will respond, but who is at fault will be litigated for years.
Nonetheless, more importantly The New Superintendent, as his first official Act, should immediately ensure Marco's tragic passing is ruled in the performance of his official police duties.
Honor Marco by taking care of his family and ensuring no further orders are given that will recklessly jeopardize the health and Safety of our Honorable, Courageous, & Loyal CPD Officers.
To Marco's family our heart felt Condolences and deepest sympathys go out to you. Please know that Marco was a Brave and Noble Police Officer and his Tragic passing and service to Chicago will never be forgotten. GOD bless and protect you during this difficult period .
May God hear our prayers and may Marco rest in peace knowing CPD and the Mayor will do the right thing and Rule his passing: in the performance of his official duties.
May God bless and protect all first responders during this extraordinary time.
Sorry to say this here but WTF is the Promised PPE I hold the Mayor responsible
The City will make it LOD?
Lightfoot said that the Department is prepared, there are no orders and no equipment. She is a liar, this poor guy’s family and friends have to live with this due to her incompetence
An OUTRAGE!!!!
CARONA-virus strikes again! For two weeks tact officers assigned to 704 have been asking for outdoor roll calls to no avail. It took an officer to test positive to finally shut down office for supposed thorough cleaning and roll calls via phone. Spineless, ass kissing,yes men supervisors cannot make a decision without lts. or cmdrs. Being notified. Any new ideas or considerations pointless unless new CMDR MICRO MGR decides what's best! Typical merit B.S.
CARONA-virus strikes again! For two weeks tact officers assigned to 704 have been asking for outdoor roll calls to no avail. It took an officer to test positive to finally shut down office for supposed thorough cleaning and roll calls via phone. Spineless, ass kissing,yes men supervisors cannot make a decision without lts. or cmdrs. Being notified. Any new ideas or considerations pointless unless new CMDR MICRO MGR decides what's best! Typical merit B.S.
The majority of us (myself included) will have to answer for how we have lived our lives to enter the Pearly Gates.
Not Marco, St. Peter is waving him in like a third base coach who just saw the ball bounce off the center field wall.
Good Bye My Friend,
RIP Marco.
You always kept the team laughing, and I enjoyed working on several operations with you and your team.
You will be missed.
Be well, and stay strong Sal
Retired ASA Dan
Heard rumors all the dam office pigs who kissed ass and knew someone to get a desk job at headquarters are now going on the medical because they have fears of hitting the streets. Would be nice of that after all this nonsense is over they get shipped back into patrol where the real police are
Lightfoot calling the union guy a clown or whatever is starting to make sense. What exactly is the union doing to represent an protect its officers? All of the complaints about how the city treats officers...absolute garbage.
Why isn’t the union demanding respect, pay, accountability, and protection from the city?
Be mad at the city all you want, but if you don’t ask for or demand it, you ain’t gonna get shut voluntarily from the city. Time for the union to step up!
rip. First responders were not equipped for this.
I'm not sure it would have mattered even if they were. Some jobs have to be done by those willing to do it.
To the earlier post that suggested Marco pipicked virus up elsewhere;you must not be the police but either way GFY!!
Your probably a snowflake that hits the medical for a papercut from your ticket book. Ya POS!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
This officer and his family deserve nothing less than full line of duty pay and benefits. Unfortunately, the city will do what it does best, which is to scam and steal from those most vulnerable. The city pays out millions every year to criminals who win bullshit lawsuits or settlements, but they will fight tooth and nail to compensate a fallen officer.
4/03/2020 11:54:00 AM
A tragic loss as was the death of a beloved veterinarian; however, what makes this
a “line of duty” death? When, where, how? Compassion doesn’t mean we take leave of our senses. Years ago a classmate of my fathers at the O’ Brien St. Academy, Paul Batson, was struck in the chest during a traffic stop and collapsed to ground and died. If a policeman died of a heart attack, even after wrestling with an offender, it was not considered line of duty-although it was for firemen! Two wrongs do not make a right but Covid 19 deaths need to be examined closely and not used by grandstanding politicians.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Don’t know the officer, but I’m saddened by his death. Work with people who knew him or his brother and they say nothing but good things about the officer and his family. This may enrage people but I need to say this. I disagree with his death now being classified as line of duty. That classification is sacred in my opinion. Officer Di Franco had other medical conditions, including a lung disease. Who knows where he was infected? Could have been at McDonalds, Jewel, the gym, 7-Eleven, Binnys, a restaurant, and on and on. Sorry, but that’s my feeling. Line of duty deaths are, “classified as the death of an active sworn member by felonious or accidental means during the course of performing police functions while on or off duty”. That retired star case at 35th Street should be reserved for officers killed in the line of duty.
4/03/2020 11:40:00 AM
A guy who gets it.
Heard rumors all the office coppers who kicked ass and were recognized for their great work and got rewarded with a desk job at headquarters. These officers are going on the medical to save the streets from their wrath. Would be nice that after all this is over the "real police", in patrol, finally once and for all stop with their NONSENSE!!!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Marco was an Excellent officer who worked hard and devoted his life to serve the citizens of this great city. Marco did so Not for the Attaboy's and accommodations that he so rightly merited , but because he loved doing his job.
Marco's passion and relentless goal was to put away the bad guy and he executed his mission well. No mission was to dangerous, no sacrifice was to great, and no was not in his vocabulary.
Few understand the risk (s) and true danger involed in working in his capacity. Where one is alone, w/no back up, and often in dark places among those who will not hesitate to kill you.
Marco did this for over 20 years with no complaints and went above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference in the lives & communities he served and protected.
Unfortunately, it has to be said that the proximate contributing cause for Marco's unexpected and tragic passing can be attributed to his unwavering loyalty to CPD and the Mayor's and Beck's failure to adequately protect him.
After the first outbreak was leaked that an officer at Homan square tested positive for Covid19 a few weeks ago. Marco's unit loyally followed an order to shelter in place ( aka on stand by, in 10x10 offices) at Homan square. Homan square was not shut down, officers were not ordered to stand by in the field, none were sent home, and none were offered immediate testing.
Now it is no secret to the Mayor and Beck and among the entire CPD Rank and File that Homan Square is a poorly ventilated building with various environmental hazards /OSHA violations.
The order to shelter in place at Homan Square some may argue was reckless and went against CDC, State and, City guidelines.
Ironically, the Mayor and CPS took immediate action and shut down a Portage Park school(a month ago) after a teacher tested positive for Covid19.
However, not the Mayor, Not Beck and Not one Command Staff member gave the order to shut down Homan Square. Instead the imprudent order to shelter in place at Homan Square was given.
Now I ask myself after assessing the situation per general order what is the next step in a Hazmat situation?
Evacuate the area in order to mitigate exposure and to prevent great bodily harm and /or death.
Mayor any thoughts or Did Californication get out of Dodge to avoid being criticized?
I doubt you will respond, but who is at fault will be litigated for years.
Nonetheless, more importantly The New Superintendent, as his first official Act, should immediately ensure Marco's tragic passing is ruled in the performance of his official police duties.
Honor Marco by taking care of his family and ensuring no further orders are given that will recklessly jeopardize the health and Safety of our Honorable, Courageous, & Loyal CPD Officers.
To Marco's family our heart felt Condolences and deepest sympathys go out to you. Please know that Marco was a Brave and Noble Police Officer and his Tragic passing and service to Chicago will never be forgotten. GOD bless and protect you during this difficult period .
May God hear our prayers and may Marco rest in peace knowing CPD and the Mayor will do the right thing and Rule his passing: in the performance of his official duties.
May God bless and protect all first responders during this extraordinary time.
4/03/2020 01:18:00 PM
That is a great message. You are a good person. I am sorry to learn of his passing and for your loss.
Perplexed in Central Chicago said...
Perplexed Central Chicago said:
Anonymous said...
The City will make it LOD?
4/03/2020 01:49:00 PM
Thankfully, as of 1030AM this morning, Marco will receive Line of Duty Death benefits.
They did the right thing.
That is all I ever wanted.
4/03/2020 10:34:00 AM
There a lot of great posts here.
But this one brought a smile.
55 and Out said...
The majority of us (myself included) will have to answer for how we have lived our lives to enter the Pearly Gates.
Not Marco, St. Peter is waving him in like a third base coach who just saw the ball bounce off the center field wall.
Good Bye My Friend,
4/03/2020 03:30:00 PM
My sincere and deepest condolences to Officer Di Franco's family and friends, he sounded like a man bigger than life itself. I am sorry for your loss.
RIP.
Whomever gave the call and ordered all narcotics officers to sit at Homan should be demoted. Over 85% of narcotics officers are on the medical and are still testing positive. This is horrible. The department failed to protect us. There’s no proper ventilation and a large number of people who worked in that building end up with cancer
By the way, i heard a certain Chief was back with his ex wife. Good call Bill, home is where the heart is and your daughter is worth more than a 5 times tramp
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