Sergeant William Grassi of the 19th District was among police officers honored at the 44th annual Police Recognition Ceremony and luncheon held last month at the Chicago Hilton and Towers International Ballroom. "Each year, the city publicly honors members of the Chicago Police Department who have distinguished themselves by acting heroically in the face of grave danger, by working hand in hand with our community partners and by developing innovations that place our department on the cutting edge of progress," said Philip J. Cline, Superintendent of Police.
On April 18, 2004, during a narcotics investigation in the 1300 block of N. Campbell Ave., Officer Grassi and other officers alertly noticed two men running down an alley, and then heard several gunshots. Grassi ran into the alley and saw the two armed men running directly toward him. Grassi announced that he was a police officer and ordered the gunmen to stop and drop their weapons. Ignoring the commands, the offenders fired at the officer, who returned fire.
The offenders fled, and Grassi issued a flash message before continuing his pursuit. Twice during the chase, one of the gunmen turned and pointed his gun at the officer, who returned fire. Grassi's fellow officers cut off avenues of escape and apprehended the offenders. It was later learned that the two gunmen had just killed a citizen. |
