WEST LAWN – Hundreds of people gathered outside a Southwest Side church Thursday, the darkness of the night held at bay as neighbors, loved ones and police officers lit candles in honor of slain officer Enrique Martinez.

Attendees gathered at St. Nicholas of Tolentine, 3721 W. 62nd St., several of them bowing their heads while holding their hats to their chests. Some loved ones shared personal memories of Martinez and the crowd chanted, “Police Officer Enrique Martinez, your name will never be forgotten.” The church dedicated its Thursday night Mass to Martinez, who was a member of the St. Nicholas Class of 2012.

Martínez, 26, was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop Monday night in Chatham. Darion McMillian, 23, has been charged in the case of first-degree murder of a police officer, first-degree murder, attempted murder of a police officer, residential burglary, unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Those who knew Martínez described him as funny, lovable and bright.

“I couldn’t sleep for two days,” said Arturo Acosta, a family friend. “He was a beautiful person.”

Natalia Carranza, whose children went to school with Martínez, said he was “like any other teenager. “I was happy, happy with life and with the goals I wanted to achieve.”

A police officer who declined to share his name said he was close to Martinez and his brother, Adrian, also an officer. He was shocked when he heard that Martinez had been shot, he said.

“It’s very disturbing and unbelievable,” he said. “My first thought was I hope he’s okay, and then I immediately tried to contact his brother.”

Monday, Martinez and his partner stopped a black Ford Escape with three people inside in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue. As officers approached the car, McMillian, in the front passenger seat, moved a backpack from his chest to the floor of the car. prosecutors said at McMillian’s detention hearing early Thursday.

Martinez and his partner told McMillian to stop searching for the bag, but McMillian pulled out a .40-caliber handgun with an illegal attachment to convert it into a machine gun and fired at Martinez, prosecutors said. Martínez was shot five times, including in the head. McMillian’s friend who was in the driver’s seat was also fatally shot, prosecutors said.

After McMillian pushed his dead friend out of the car, he tried to escape in the SUV while an officer tried to remove him from the vehicle, prosecutors said. McMillian backed up, running over the officer, before crashing into a car parked nearby and fleeing, prosecutors said.

McMillian cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet, but he was arrested after officers saw him walking on Maryland Avenue.

Martinez, who had only been on the job for three years, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Martínez is survived by his parents, Rosa and Adrián Sr.; the brothers Angélica and Adrián; and his 10-year-old girlfriend, Lesly, to whom he planned to propose, according to a GoFundMe campaign to support the Martínez family.

The campaign had raised more than $38,000 of its $40,000 goal as of Friday morning.

“Officer Martinez’s unwavering commitment to his role as a police officer was surpassed only by his love for his family, friends, and the community he swore to protect,” according to the fundraising page.

Before Thursday’s service, Ald. Raymond López (15th) described Martínez’s death as “heartbreaking.”

“I am very happy today that the community is embracing the family,” López told reporters at the vigil. “But our goal has to be to make sure we are doing everything we can to protect our officers who risk their lives every day, even on the most routine traffic stops.”

Five police officers have been shot dead since Officer Ella French was murdered during a traffic stop in August 2021, said his ex-partner, Officer Carlos Yanez Jr., who attended McMillian’s detention hearing on Thursday.

Lopez said change is needed to ensure the safety of police officers.

“This is a painful, very painful scenario for all of us on the Southwest Side, but also for all of Chicago, and we cannot lose sight of the fact that these are our sons and daughters risking their lives and dying on the streets of Chicago. ”Lopez said.

Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: