Chicago Police Commander Bryan Spreyne called out the names of his 8th District officers one by one Sunday.Officer Enrique Martinez’s name was called three times as the officers stood at attention in the 6300 block of South Komensky Avenue before Spreyne spoke again, this time to say “may you ne ver be forgotten.”Martinez was shot to death while making a traffic stop in Chatham Nov. 4, 2024, just a month before the 26-year-old would have marked three years with the Chicago Police Department.The West Lawn block the officer grew up on, now known as Officer Enrique Martinez Avenue, was dedicated on what would’ve been his 28th birthday.“This sign is for [West Lawn] as much as it is for Enrique and his family,” Spreyne told the crowd gathered. “When we raise this sign today, we are permanently weaving his legacy into the fabric of this neighborhood. … Officer Martinez, you are finally home on your block.” Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez was shot and killed during a traffic stop in the Chatham neighborhood on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. Chicago Police Department Darion McMillian, 23, was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Enriquez and another man in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue in Chatham. The Harvey man also faces felony counts of attempted murder of a police officer, burglary, possession of a machine gun and possession of a gun as a felon.Attendees at the event echoed the sentiments Martinez’s family and colleagues shared at his 2024 funeral, where he was remembered as a “great person” and “great gift giver.” CPD Chief Angel Novalez — a stand in for Supt. Larry Snelling, who was visiting officers injured overnight — said Martinez was protective and brought “levity and laughter” to his police district.He’s among several Chicago officers who have been killed both on and off duty in recent years: Luis Huesca, Aréanah Preston, Andres Vasquez Lasso, Ella French, Krystal Rivera — who was fatally shot by her partner while they chased a suspect — and most recently, John Bartholomew last month. Adrian Martinez Jr., the brother of fallen CPD Officer Enrique Martinez, receives an honorary sign during a street dedication in his brother’s honor Sunday in West Lawn on the Southwest Side.Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times Elizabeth French, the mother of Ella French, was among the more than 100 people in attendance, including dozens of Chicago police officers.While she didn’t have many plans for the weekend, Elizabeth French made sure she was at Sunday’s street renaming to support the Martinez family, who declined to speak with a reporter after the event.“It’s important for me to be out here for them, this is where I need to be,” she said. “I need to pay back that tremendous support I got and still get. Simply knowing that somebody is there, that’s huge. … It’s a big cocoon of support.” CPD Honor Guards post colors during a street dedication to honor fallen CPD Officer Enrique Martinez Sunday in West Lawn on the Southwest Side. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times The one thing she did do over the holiday weekend was visit a statue of her daughter in a dog park that was dedicated to her last summer in Garfield Ridge.Elizabeth French said having physical memorials helps her as she continues to handle her grief. Her advice for other Gold Star families, relatives of first responders and military personnel who have died in the line of duty was to lean on each other when the emotions are too much to handle alone.“There’s the intangible talking to her all the time, but I get to visit and hug this,” French said of her daughter’s statue. “It’s one foot in front of the other. There’s an emptiness there that doesn’t go away, but leaning on this support helps the healing.” Related Statue, dog park honoring slain CPD Officer Ella French unveiled: ‘Ella is still doing her job’ Hundreds gather for funeral honoring slain Chicago police officer John Bartholomew — ‘His heart was pure’ ...read more read less