The ritual proceedings for officer Ella French, who was murdered at a traffic stop Saturday, were reportedly rushed due to a decision made by the First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter of the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
“We don’t have 20 minutes for this sh*t,” Carter, the second-in-command, was heard on an audio recording referring to the bagpipe proceedings, according to the Chicago Sun-Times in a piece published Tuesday. “We’re not waiting on the bagpipes. Go ahead and get the vehicle inside.” (RELATED: During A Bloody Weekend In Chicago, A Female Cop Is The First To Die In The Line Of Duty Since Lori Lightfoot Took Office)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the decision not to allow the honor guard/bagpipes at the morgue after the shooting death of Officer Ella French was due to COVID-19 protocols set by the medical examiner, and it was not a decision made by First Deputy Eric Carter.
— Heather Cherone (@HeatherCherone) August 11, 2021
Carter ordered the Chicago Fire Department ambulance carrying her body to go directly to the medical examiner’s office, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. As a result, the bagpipe honor guard, a “sacred” part of the send-off ritual for fallen officers, was skipped, said the former Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy told Fox News.
McCarthy said that Carter also addressed French by the wrong name.
McCarthy claimed that the truncated nature of the ritual proceedings reflects the reality in Chicago that “policing is under attack.” (RELATED: Chicago Cops Turn Their Backs To Mayor Lightfoot At Hospital After Two Officers Shot)
Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended Carter’s decision in her address to the public, citing various concerns, including to “stop the spread of COVID-19” and to “avoid delay to the morgue” for French’s family.
NEW: Officials have found no evidence of a superspreader event stemming from the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, city health commissioner says. https://t.co/agbwENPfvi pic.twitter.com/2Sg8kJfy1k
— ABC News (@ABC) August 12, 2021
Lightfoot called Carter an “incredible public servant” who “made the right call,” and said that she “supports” the decision. (RELATED: Lightfoot’s Chicago Sees 56 Shot, 11 Fatally Over Violent Weekend)
Several police officers for the department were very angry over Carter’s decision and conduct, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.