Flags at publicly-owned buildings in the state of Illinois will fly at half-staff this week to honor the memory of Chicago Police Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso.
According to the proclamation issued by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, flags will fly at half-staff through Thursday at sundown after the attack, which occurred in the city's Gage Park neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
Under provisions of the Illinois Flag Display Act, any building or property that is maintained by the state of Illinois, or local and municipal governments, shall lower both the U.S. and Illinois flags to half-staff at the order of the governor.
Pritzker's office says that flags should be lowered when any "Illinois member of the armed forces, police force, fire service and other groups covered by the Act (are) killed in the line of duty."
Vasquez Lasso was shot and killed while responding to a 911 call on Wednesday in the city. Police received reports that a man was chasing a woman with a gun in the 5200 block of South Spaulding avenue.
Authorities say that Vasquez Lasso, 32, was the first officer to engage with the suspect in the case, and an exchange of gunfire followed. The officer was struck multiple times, and he was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Steven Montano, was also struck by gunfire, and he faces charges in the case.
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Visitation for Vasquez Lasso will take place Wednesday, with a funeral scheduled for Thursday.
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