Funeral procession for Chicago police officer John Rivera passes through town
by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (March 29, 2019) – Five LPD squad cars joined two Chicago PD cars in escorting the hearse bearing the casket of Officer John Rivera through Lansing this afternoon. Rivera was killed in River North on Saturday, March 23.
His funeral services took place this morning at the Elmwood Chapel in Chicago, with mass following at Church of the Annunciata in Chicago. Leaving the church, the funeral procession headed south on Burnham Avenue on its way to a private interment.
Lt. Scott Bailey of the Lansing Police Department shared the information with Village officials and local media in order to prepare for potential traffic problems at the intersection of Burnham Avenue and Ridge Road. As word spread, local residents joined Village officials and members of the Lansing Police Department, Lansing Fire Department, and Lansing Public Works Department in honoring the 23-year-old officer’s sacrifice. The 10-car procession took less than a minute to cross Ridge Road, but Lansing had prepared for that crossing with flags, salutes, and respectful silence.
