On what would have been Officer Enrique Martinez’s 28th birthday, Chicago officials renamed a West Lawn street in his honor, weaving his legacy into a neighborhood that remembers him from childhood. Family members and fellow officers gathered as CPD leadership
Chicago Police Commander Bryan Spreyne stood before a crowd in the 6300 block of South Komensky Avenue on Sunday and called out names of his 8th District officers one by one. When Officer Enrique Martinez’s name was called, Spreyne did not move on quickly. He called it three times as the officers stood at attention.
Then Spreyne spoke again, directing the message toward the moment itself: “may you never be forgotten.”
The ceremony was more than a remembrance. The West Lawn block where Martinez grew up was dedicated as Officer Enrique Martinez Avenue. marked on what would have been his 28th birthday. Spreyne told the crowd that the sign belonged not just to the public record. but to the family and the neighborhood. “This sign is for [West Lawn] as much as it is for Enrique and his family,” he said. “When we raise this sign today, we are permanently weaving his legacy into the fabric of this neighborhood. … Officer Martinez, you are finally home on your block.”.
Martinez was shot to death while making a traffic stop in Chatham on Nov. 4, 2024. The killing came just a month before the 26-year-old would have marked three years with the Chicago Police Department.
The dedication unfolded as prosecutors continue to pursue accountability in his death. Darion McMillian. 23. was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Enriquez and another man in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue in Chatham. McMillian also faces felony counts of attempted murder of a police officer. burglary. possession of a machine gun and possession of a gun as a felon.
Inside the crowd, the loss looked familiar to the people who have already been through it. Attendees echoed the words shared during Martinez’s 2024 funeral, where he was remembered as a “great person” and a “great gift giver.”
Chicago Police Chief Angel Novalez — serving as a stand-in for Supt. Larry Snelling, who was visiting officers injured overnight — said Martinez was protective and brought “levity and laughter” to his police district.
Martinez was named among several Chicago officers killed in recent years, both on and off duty: Luis Huesca, Aréanah Preston, Andres Vasquez Lasso, Ella French, Krystal Rivera — who was fatally shot by her partner while they chased a suspect — and most recently, John Bartholomew last month.
Sunday’s event included more than 100 people, among them dozens of Chicago police officers. Elizabeth French, the mother of Ella French, was there, standing alongside the Martinez family without speaking to reporters after the dedication.
French said she had limited plans for the holiday weekend, but she made sure to be at the renaming anyway. “It’s important for me to be out here for them, this is where I need to be,” she said. “I need to pay back that tremendous support I got and still get. Simply knowing that somebody is there, that’s huge. … It’s a big cocoon of support.”.
For French, physical memorials have become one of the ways grief stays bearable. She said she visited a statue of her daughter in a dog park dedicated to Ella French last summer in Garfield Ridge. “Elizabeth French said having physical memorials helps her as she continues to handle her grief. ” the ceremony underscored. as she described the role those tributes can play when the day-to-day emotions feel too heavy.
Her advice to other Gold Star families. relatives of first responders and military personnel was to rely on one another when feelings threaten to overwhelm. “There’s the intangible talking to her all the time. but I get to visit and hug this. ” French said. referring to the statue of her daughter. “It’s one foot in front of the other. There’s an emptiness there that doesn’t go away, but leaning on this support helps the healing.”.
On Sunday, the neighborhood’s grief met a tangible symbol. For a fallen officer who grew up nearby, the sign on South Komensky Avenue now carries the name people kept calling into the cold air—until, at last, it felt like the message finally landed: you are home on your block.
Chicago Police Enrique Martinez Avenue West Lawn officer memorial traffic stop Chatham Darion McMillian street dedication
Finally home on his block… hope they catch everybody involved.
They renamed a street but that doesn’t bring him back. Also why does it say Chatham like it’s somewhere else? Chicago is all the same to me.
I heard about the traffic stop and I just feel sick. The guy charged (McMillian?) better get the max, because they always say “accountability” and then it drags forever. Renaming the street is nice but it feels kinda like a distraction to me.
Street sign won’t stop the violence though. Like didn’t they already do something like this for other officers? I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just confused… they said “called his name three times” like that’s a law or something lol. Also the article got chopped up at the end with that machine gun thing so I’m not even sure what charges he’s facing.