(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Bradley Police are honoring and remembering one of their own, one year after she was killed in the line of duty.
A day after a candlelight vigil in the parking lot of the Bourbonnais hotel where Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic was shot and killed last December, the 49-year-old was honored at a memorial Friday morning.
Among those in attendance, Bradley Mayor Michael Watson.
“This devastating occurrence unraveled the very fabric of the families, friends and fellow officers of our community,” he said.
Lynette Stua, Rittmanic’s widow, said while a piece of her was taken away in the shooting, the tragedy has generated plenty of support.
“Saying ‘thank you’ to friends, family and the community doesn’t quite feel like enough,” Stua said. “To know that Sergeant Rittmanic was loved by so much and will be remembered and missed by so many people does provide a sense of peace.”
Rittmanic was fatally shot in the hotel’s parking lot while responding to reports of a dog barking. Her partner, Officer Tyler Bailey, was also wounded and seriously injured.
“Marlene would not want us here, sad and crying while we talked about her life,” Bradley Police Chief Don Barber said. “Knowing Marlene as I did, her hope would be that we continue to tell her story and continue to champion her character in all of us.”
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