A vigil was held Wednesday for an off-duty Cook County Sheriff’s officer who was killed after a shooting and ensuing car crash in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood. NBC Chicago’s Courtney Sisk reports.
A vigil was held Wednesday night in remembrance of Rafael Wordlaw, a 31-year-old Cook County Sheriff's deputy who was shot and killed at a Woodlawn gas station just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
According to police, charges are pending against a person of interest who was taken into custody late Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Wordlaw's family, friends and coworkers gathered in Fuller Park to honor his life.
"The most important thing I’ll miss about him is missing his voice and making us laugh," his cousin, Atasia Harper, said.
"I just hope we can make a change like he made a change," said his sister Kendal Wordlaw.
His family calls him a protector, achiever and an all-around great person.
“He had a vision and a dream in his head. It’s sad and it hurts. But Rafael was a humble spirit," said his Aunt Rosie Henry. "He kept peace around himself and anyone he came into contact with. He truly, truly, truly will be missed."
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Wordlaw was a corrections officer with the Cook County Sheriff's Office for the past five years. He graduated Urban Prep Academy and studied Criminal Justice at Indiana State University.
Wednesday, loved ones gathered and shared in prayer and a balloon release.
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“Someone took his life, but God is the final judge," Henry said. "And I know justice will be done."
