Widow of slain Chicago police officer offers emotional convention speech

A Chicago woman whose police officer husband was gunned down in 2010 called on people to honor the memory of slain officers during an emotional speech Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention.

Jennifer Loudon’s husband, Thor Soderberg, was shot to death by a man who surprised him as he was changing clothes in his car in a parking lot near the police facility where he worked. The man took Soderberg’s service gun and executed him with it, and later shot at three other officers during the chase that ensued.

The killer, Bryant Brewer, was convicted in the slaying and last year was sentenced to life plus 115 years in prison.

Loudon was among several relatives of slain officers who addressed the convention as part of a segment of speeches featuring everyday Americans. It came after a Tuesday night segment that featured two Chicago women who lost their daughters prematurely, one to gang violence and another after a controversial traffic stop.

Noting that “in light of recent events, some of us have lost faith,” Loudon said she wanted to remind Americans that officers are risking their lives to protect people, and called for honoring them “by acting as our officers did, helping others, bridging communities and bringing peace.”

“Thor knew that every interaction he had mattered, that every word he spoke, and yes, every arrest he made, defined what it meant to serve and protect,” Loudon said. “He knew effective policing required treating people with kindness and respect, especially when he was most often called to their worst moments.”

To illustrate that, Loudon told of how Soderberg had once encountered a boy who had stolen a belt to replace the rope that he was using to hold up his pants.

“Thor negotiated and the charges were dropped,” Loudon said. “He also paid for the belt.”

A night earlier at the convention, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the longtime leader of Chicago’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, voiced concerns over the recent killings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La.

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimgeiger