CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – The death of a retired Chicago police officer has the police community outraged, according to a friend.
Huntington’s Disease forced officer Richard Haljean, 57, into early retirement in 2020 after serving for nearly 30 years.
He was crossing Touhy Avenue near Oriole Avenue on Thursday night in Edison Park on the North Side, when he was hit by a Jeep that didn’t stop.
“The way he was killed bothers me. Hit-and-run? Someone hit him – struck him – and left him to die,” Retired Chicago police officer Bobby Drell, who worked with Haljean, told CBS 2 Chicago.
Drell said Haljean leaves behind three children without a father.
“You know, it’s not right. The police family is totally outraged. Everybody in the police department have a hole in their heart losing Ricky ‘cause he was such a genuine, kind police officer,” Drell continued.
He said whoever did it, “people make mistakes” and asked the driver to “please turn yourself in.”
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