A 73-year-old former Chicago police officer was shot and killed Thursday morning and the gunman remains at large, authorities said.
Larry Newman, who served with the Chicago Police Department from the early 1980s to 2010, Shot multiple times FOX 32 reported it happened around 11:30 a.m. just steps away from the home in West Garfield Park.
He was later pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.
Newman was Chicago Police’s longest serving explosives technician and is remembered as a pioneer.
“He was one of the first African-American bomb technicians for the Chicago Police Department,” said Gene Roy, a former chief of detectives for the Chicago Police Department.
Mr Roy, Mr Newman’s former unit commander, said he was a “good man” and an “exemplary character”.
“He was a calm, collected individual at the scene of crime,” the former chief said, “and always had good, on-point advice to give when things got a little volatile. He was also a very well-respected, well-liked individual who people looked up to.”
“It’s so sad to see him die in such a senseless, tragic and unnecessary way,” Roy continued.
Prior to becoming a police officer, Newman served in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine.
After retiring from the police force, he became pastor of St. Michael Missionary Baptist Church.
“When he retired from the Chicago Police Department, he didn’t retire from a life of serving the city,” Roy pointed out.
Newman also worked for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Midway International Airport and O’Hare International Airport until his untimely death.
Chicago police later announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer.
Contributor Chicago Police Department upon Thursday, June 20, 2024
Photos shared by the department show Newman hard at work and with a big smile on his face.
We are working to bring the killers to justice and ask for the community’s support. The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation is…
Contributor Chicago Police Department upon Friday, June 21, 2024
“He is a truly good man,” Councilman Jason Irvin said in a statement obtained by FOX 32. “This is a tough loss for the City of Chicago.”
The TSA also released a statement expressing its condolences.
Larry Newman was a Transportation Security Specialist in Explosives who joined TSA in 2010 and worked at both O’Hare and Midway airports. In his current role, he trained screeners at both airports to detect explosives and other potential threats. We are deeply saddened by his passing and offer our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
Newman died a tragic death, leaving behind a wife and children.
