A young man with a growing family, bursting with pride that he had become a Chicago police officer.
That’s how everyone remembers Chicago police Officer Sam Jimenez in his Edison Park neighborhood at a local bar.
“He was a great guy," Officer Gorzerany told NBC 5. "He made time for everybody you know."
Gorzerany was Jimenez’ close friend through the police academy and beyond.
“He’s the last person you’d think this would happen to," he said, adding that Jimenez would "never turn his back" on a dangerous situation like the rampage at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center Monday.
Gorzerany and scores of other officers, friends and neighbors packed this Edison Park establishment to prepared a blue ribbon tribute for Jimenez. Ald. Anthony Napolitano was also in attendance.
“Even though that this hero is down this neighborhood is going to come out and support his family and make sure they’re taken care of," Napolitano said.
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Officer Briana Nieves was also a classmate of his at the academy.
"I was in shock," she said. "When I heard it was him, it’s hard to process that someone in the academy who did all this with you was the one that got hit."
Justin Platzner is a former coworker of Jimenez.
“My jaw dropped it, was devastating," he said. "Just kept thinking about his kids, his wife, his family, his brother and him, how brave he was to run into that hospital."
Together the crowd, united by tragedy, quietly went about honoring their fallen friend.
Jimenez's commander during field training said losing someone like him was close to a father losing a son.
