17-Feb-20 – The snow that fell outside 18th police district headquarters on Thursday afternoon was, said Pastor Randall Blakey, “an angelic reminder of the presence and the power of Commander Paul Bauer.”

On the second anniversary of Bauer’s death, police, family, friends, and community members gathered for a 30-minute ceremony to remember the 53-year-old police commander, shot six times by a convicted felon outside Thompson Center on February 13, 2018.

“Two years ago today, Paul Bauer was tragically taken from us,” said Daniel O’Shea, who replaced Bauer as commander of the 18th district. “He didn’t sacrifice his life as it is often stated. It was taken from him, as he willingly put himself in harm’s way in order to honor his commitment to his badge, his department, and to the community he served.”

(Left) Two police sergeants, Amanda Vanek from the 18th District at left and Thomas Crain from Detective Area Central at right, ring a bell 29 times in honor of Commander Paul Bauer, whose badge number was 29. Photo by Wendy B. Hauser.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Bauer’s legacy will be carried on by the men and women with whom he served. “His absence fills the hearts of his family and those who loved him and looked up to him and miss him each passing day.”

Expressing appreciation for the remembrance, Paul Bauer’s wife, Erin Bauer, mused that anyone who knew the commander personally would know he would not want the spotlight. “I can see him shaking his head about this ceremony,” she said.

On the Chicago police radio frequencies, a dispatcher read a tribute to Bauer, heard on all police radios across the city, followed by a moment of silence.

(Right) Paul Bauer on March 9, 2016, when he was Captain of the 18th police district, inspecting officers at an outdoor roll call on East Hubbard Street. Photo by Steven Dahlman.

Bauer was on his way to meet with 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins and 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly at City Hall when he heard on police radio that a man officers were trying to question near State Street & Wacker Drive had run away. Bauer caught up with the man in front of Thompson Center, about four blocks southwest. There was a physical confrontation in an outdoor staircase and Bauer was shot six times. He died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Shomari Legghette was charged with first-degree murder. Jury selection in his trial is scheduled for later this month.

Erin Bauer has filed a federal lawsuit against Armslist, an online gun marketplace she says helped sell the weapon used to kill her husband, a Glock 26 9mm handgun. According to the lawsuit, filed on February 12 in Wisconsin, the gun was sold to a buyer in the Milwaukee area who then resold it to “the broader criminal market,” eventually reaching Legghette.