Clifton Lewis was working as a security guard at a neighborhood grocery store when he was killed. Now, the Police Memorial Foundation is preparing to give the family a $50,000 check.
The convenience store where off-duty officer Lewis was murdered Thursday night has since reopened for business. Inside the store there are at least six surveillance cameras that record comings and goings -- behind the counter where Lewis was standing, on the east wall which would show an enter and exit. There is also a camera that covers the parking lot.
The surveillance tape examined by police is said to show two gunmen wearing masks, one armed with what is believed to be a TEC-9 semi-automatic pistol.
Police haven't said whether the masks completely obscure faces or if the tape reveals any other distinguishing features on the men they are looking for. What they do say is, Officer Lewis had almost no time to react before being shot multiple times.
While not discussing what they are, police say they are working leads they consider substantial.
"That 15th District is a family. The Chicago PD is a family. One of their own was taken, and they're feeling it," said Police Memorial Foundation's John Gordon.
Gordon is the project manager for the Police Memorial Foundation, which supports police families when there is a duty death. Officer Lewis' family will receive $50,000 intended to assist the family's needs and educational costs for his daughter.
Gordon knows a bit about the significance of that gesture. His brother Michael, a Chicago police officer, was killed in 2004 when a drunk driver broadsided his squad.
"I've been there," Gordon said. "I know what they're going through. It just kind of lets them know they haven't been forgotten and we'll always be there for them."
Funeral services for the highly regarded Austin district tactical officer have been set for this Thursday morning at the United Baptist Church on the West Side.
The police Memorial Foundation has increased to $15,000 its reward offer as officers pursue the killers of eight-year police veteran Clifton Lewis.
