Officer shot in line of duty honored at memorial park

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Officer Eddie Jackson was shot in the line of duty during a confrontation with an armed robbery suspect in 1977. Tuesday he was honored at Gold Star Memorial Park near Soldier Field.

On Oct. 14, 1977, Jackson and his partner were working in Chicago's Near North Side on a prostitution beat when he became involved in an argument with a man in a car who turned out to be a robbery suspect. During their confrontation, the suspect shot Jackson in the head once and then sped off.

Jackson survived the initial shooting, but lost a piece of his skull and suffered significant brain damage. He was also paralyzed on his right side and lost vision in his right eye. He was in a wheelchair until he eventually succumbed to his injuries in 2003.

"He could not walk anymore, talk anymore, and by it being a head injury there were a lot of things that he couldn't even respond to correctly anymore. But what he did have is a good spirit," said his daughter Adrienne Hubbard.

"Officer Jackson's been gone now for 13 years and yet we gather here to pay homage to him and show our appreciation and respect for the sacrifice he made, and respect for the sacrifice his family made. So again, we never forget," said Anthony Riccio, Chief of Organized Crime, at the ceremony.

Jackson's name is now be etched on the Chicago Police Memorial Wall at Gold Star Memorial Park.

Hubbard said she is glad her father is being recognized and is grateful for the closure the memorial brings, but that she wishes her mother was still alive to attend the ceremony as well.

At the 13th annual candlelight vigil Tuesday night, the names of every officer memorialized on the wall were read aloud, as their families and fellow officers paid tribute to them. The vigil was organized by the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation which supports families of fallen officers. They have raised more than $7.8 million dollars for their cause.