Family of Officer Luis Huesca didn’t want Mayor Brandon Johnson, Gov. J.B. Pritzker at funeral

Mayor Brandon Johnson did not attend the funeral Monday of slain Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca after being told the family did not want him there.

State Comptroller Susana Mendoza conveyed the family’s wishes to the mayor’s staff, according to her spokesperson, Abdon Pallasch. Mendoza, whose brother is a CPD officer, talked to Huesca’s mother and sister at the wake on Sunday, Pallasch said.

“The mom was crying. She said they didn’t want the mayor to attend because they don’t think he supports the police,” Pallasch said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who ordered all Illinois flags to fly at half-staff through Monday to honor Huesca, said on Monday that he followed the family’s request — through a liaison — to not attend funeral services.

It appears, however, that the mayor didn’t immediately accede to the family’s wishes. When the mayor’s office issued Johnson’s schedule Sunday night, it stated he would attend the funeral. Mendoza noted on social media earlier Monday morning that the schedule came out after she had told the mayor’s office that the family did not want him to attend.

Not quite two hours after Mendoza’s post on X and about an hour before the funeral, the mayor’s office issued an updated schedule stating Johnson would not attend.

Johnson’s updated schedule also included a statement from the mayor:

“We continue to send our deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of Officer Luis Huesca as they heal from the loss of their beloved son, nephew, brother and friend,” Johnson was quoted as saying. “As mayor, I vow to continue supporting our police and first responders, uniting our city and remaining committed to working with everyone towards building a better, stronger, safer Chicago.

“My heart is with the Huesca family today. God bless them and God bless the City of Chicago.”

Ronnie Reese, the mayor’s communication director, refused to go beyond Johnson’s statement.

Chicago mayors have typically attended the funerals of all officers who die in the line of duty. Huesca was off duty but in uniform and on his way home when he was killed; the department later ruled he had died in the line of duty.

The governor’s office frequently reaches out to representatives of family members to respect their funeral requests. In some cases, the family says no — which also happened with family members of those killed in the Highland Park mass shooting in 2022.

“It is really up to the family whether they want the attention that comes with — and all of the hullabaloo — that comes with public officials attending,” Pritzker told reporters at an unrelated press conference on Monday. “So I always follow the request of the family to do whatever makes them most comfortable.”

An emotional Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) emerged from Monday’s funeral saying he has “no idea” why the Huesca family asked both Johnson and Pritzker to stay away.

But O’Shea, one of the police union’s staunchest City Council supporters, said he knows what message both politicians should take away from the unprecedented rebuff.

“Officer Huesca was a peacemaker. All of us who attended or watched today should take from that to maybe be more like Luis Huesca and be compassionate and look out for others because that’s how he lived his life and that’s how he served the Chicago Police Department,” O’Shea said, his voice breaking.

“I don’t think, at this point, we should be talking about any elected official or what they did or didn’t do or were told.. Now, more than ever, we’ve got to figure out a way to work together, support one another and support police officers and their families,” said O’Shea, whose Far Southwest Side ward is home to scores of CPD officers.

“Today is a day when we need to talk about honoring a hero and not finger-pointing. We’re a city in crisis. We need to work together.”

Johnson is not the first Chicago mayor to receive an unprecedented show of disrespect from CPD officers.

In August 2021, officers were gathered on the 7th floor of the University of Chicago hospital after the fatal shooting of Officer Ella French and the wounding of French’s partner, Carlos Yanez Jr.. When Mayor Lori Lightfoot arrived, they turned their backs to her.

Carlos Yanez Sr. later told the Sun-Times that he twice told the mayor’s staff his son was “not a fan of Lori Lightfoot, to put it mildly” and the family did not want her on the hospital floor.

Johnson, meanwhile, campaigned on a promise to reduce police spending by $150 million. Under fire during his runoff election against Paul Vallas, who was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, Johnson subsequently vowed not to cut “one penny” from the Chicago Police Department’s $1.94 billion budget.

His first budget actually increased the CPD budget to pay for an extended police contract that sweetened the deal for rank-and-file officers.

But any goodwill from that decision likely was lost when Johnson twice persuaded the Council to reject an independent arbitrator’s ruling on police disciplinary hearings. The arbitrator had found that under state law, officers accused of the most serious wrongdoing — and recommended for firing or suspensions longer than one year — had the right to bypass the Police Board and take their cases to an arbitration hearing, which can be held behind closed doors.

Despite those Council votes, the arbitrator has repeatedly reaffirmed his ruling.