An off-duty Chicago police officer who was nearing retirement died Thursday morning after a teenage boy punched him in the face at a Norridge shopping mall the night before, authorities said.
Frank Balzano, 65, a 39-year veteran of the Chicago police, was working his part-time job as a security guard at the Harlem-Irving Plaza mall Wednesday night when he tried to break up a fight between two teenage girls, officials said.
According to Norridge Police Officer Robert Crimmins, Balzano had arrested one of the girls for lunging at security officers when she called out to her 16-year-old boyfriend for help. The boyfriend knocked Balzano to the ground, Crimmins said.
“He ultimately came up and struck Officer Balzano in the face suddenly, without warning,” Crimmins said. “It was a blindsided hit. There was no time to prepare for the impact.”
Charged with first-degree murder is Amy Landers, 17, of 2518 N. Lawndale Ave., who allegedly called to her boyfriend for help, said Bob Benjamin, a spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
Benjamin said the 16-year-old boy who allegedly delivered the punch was charged as a juvenile with aggravated battery Thursday, but prosecutors plan to upgrade the charge Friday. Benjamin would not elaborate or say whether the youth would be charged as an adult.
Balzano is remembered as a dedicated cop’s cop and family man who was planning to retire in the next few months.
Colleagues said that he joined the force in 1958, working most of his career in the canine unit– most recently at O’Hare International Airport, where he had worked on the canine bomb unit since 1993.
Balzano lived on the Northwest Side with his wife, Jean; his daughter, Cathy Zak; and his 13-year-old grandson, Jason Zak. He had two sons, Frank Jr. and Daniel Balzano.
“We feel so bad for the family,” Crimmins said. “Everyone’s jaws are to the ground. This is a shame.”
