A large crowd including Chicago police and elected officials attended the dedication ceremony Sunday of the memorial sculpture depicting fallen Officer Ella French, with her dog Bella by her side, in Garfield Ridge’s Wentworth Park.
After receiving a long round of applause, French’s mother Elizabeth greeted the crowd noting the newly dedicated Ella French Dog Friendly Area prior to the unveiling.
“Ella took her dog Bella to the dog park often,” French explained. “So, I know that it makes her happy to be watching the dogs that will come here to play at the Wentworth Dog Park.”
She continued by thanking sculptor Erik Blome for capturing Ella’s beauty and spirit, FOP Lodge 7 members and its President John Catanzara, Aldermen Marty Quinn (13th), Silvana Tabares (23rd), state Representative Angie Guerrero-Cuellar and the Garfield Ridge community “ … for their commitment and tireless effort to make this day happen.”
Quinn, who assisted with planning and arrangements for the sculpture, expressed gratitude for the many organizations, groups, people and donors who contributed to the process that produced the statue.
“This moving piece of artwork is a reminder of the sacrifice and bravery our first responders show every single day,” a visibly emotional Quinn said.
FOP President Catanzara thanked the community and described being nervous yet having hope that people would attend the dedication, saying the community “didn’t disappoint.”
He described the origin story of the Ella French sculpture, saying the conversation began with [Alderman] Ray Lopez (15th) about renaming [Chicago’s] Animal Care and Control after the officer before settling on the idea of the sculpture after consulting with her mother, Elizabeth French.
Proud to be at the ceremony with the community, Tabares noted the city was in turmoil, experiencing downtown rioting and neighborhood violence when Officer French was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Aug. 7, 2020.
Tabares focused on the 2020 removal of the Columbus statue in Grant park that began with a peaceful rally that turned into a dangerous coordinated attack against police officers.
49 officers were injured, 18 hospitalized and 12 arrests for battery against officers and mob action occurred, according to CBS News at the time.
“Garfield Ridge is made of a police family,” she continued, to loud cheers from the audience, remarking that everyone in the neighborhood is either a police officer, a relative of an officer or a neighbor to one.
“In Garfield Ridge, when we lost Ella, it was like losing a relative,” she said.
Tabares stated she is humbled that the neighborhood is now home to French’s monument.
“Because here, we don’t tear down statues to make a statement. We built one up to honor a hero,” she said.
“This will be a place where those who knew Ella can remember the laughs, the tough calls, the fond memories and we can all be reminded of the good she did for this city,” Tabares stated. “Remembering the good, helps and inspires us to do better. And when we do better, Ella’s example keeps her work alive.”
Guerrero-Cuellar talked about the importance of the project.
She said the dedication also served as a show of gratitude. “As a first responder’s family member, I can tell you that we always want to say thank you to our police officers.”
She asked officers to “… let us honor you. I know you don’t want the highlights and kudos but as family members to brothers, sisters and kids, when you walk out that door, you’re heroes to them.”
After the event, Tabares and her staff hosted a reception at Ciao Ragazzi Restaurant and bar at 5440 S. Narragansett Avenue.
The event raised money for the Light the Line Foundation headed by Executive Director Elizabeth French and includes Executive Board Member Carlos Yanez Jr., Ella’s police partner and founding Vice President and Chicago Police Lt. Rhonda Anderson.
“Light the Line was founded by a couple of police officers in honor of Ella,” French said. “The purpose of Light the Line is to support officers and their families.
The organization’s mobile support unit provides essential support such as wellness programs, mental healthcare and assistance officers need to serve.
“When John [Catanzara] said we have a little more flexibility in maneuvering, we do,” French said. “We’ve been out to districts to talk to officers and to large scale events to support officers by providing something to eat or drink. It’s all about being there for officers and their families.”
At the reception, Quinn captured the sentiment of the day.
“Beautiful,” he said. “In a word, beautiful. It’s a reflection of who we are as a community and I’m grateful for all of the people that participated today.”
Quinn said he was “ … sort of speechless at this point. Yeah. It’s just a great day and I’m proud to play a small role in it.”
