Afternoon Briefing: Trial opens in slaying of Chicago police officer
On the day he was killed, prosecutors said, Chicago police Officer Andres Vásquez Lasso woke up early in the morning in the home he bought in the same district he worked in. He said goodbye to his wife, a flight attendant, who had a full day of flights ahead of her. Later that afternoon, Vásquez Lasso began his final shift, prosecutors said, during which he was shot and killed while responding to a domestic call on March 1, 2023.
'Andres Vásquez Lasso was living the American Dream,' said Assistant State's Attorney Katie Siefert. 'Andres cared so much for the community he patrolled, he moved into the 8th District and bought his home there.'
Attorneys delivered opening statements to the jury today at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in front of a courtroom packed with police officers and family members.
Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Restoring the world Robert Francis Prevost grew up in and around Dolton is not possible. The village has evolved, and many of the boyhood haunts that he and children his age may have frequented are now empty buildings and photos in history books. Read more here.
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An argument that city elections workers should not be allowed to unionize because doing so would constitute 'political activity' did not pass muster with a judge for the state's labor board. Read more here.
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This year's Midsummer Classic is fascinating for many reasons, including the introduction of Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong on the big stage, the starting matchup between Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, the mashing of catcher Cal Raleigh and the continued dominance of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the best players of their era. Read more here.
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Brookfield Zoo Chicago opened its new Tropical Forests primate habitat, featuring an expanded space for the zoo's first troop of bachelor gorillas and endangered black-handed spider monkeys rescued from wildlife trafficking. Read more here.
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Two people in New Jersey were killed after their vehicle was swept up in floodwaters during a storm that moved across the U.S. Northeast overnight, authorities said. Read more here.
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