Funeral Held for Illinois Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic: 'Our World Has Been Turned Upside Down'

Nick GilbertsonJanuary 8, 2022

Funeral services for slain Bradley, Illinois, police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic took place Friday. She was killed while responding to a noise complaint on December 30.

Prosecutors say Rittmanic, 49, was shot with her own weapon by 25-year-old Darius Sullivan with assistance from his girlfriend Xandria Harris, 26, Breitbart News previously reported. The sergeant and her partner Tyler Bailey, 27, responded to a complaint of dogs barking in an unattended car at the Comfort Inn on North State Highway 50. Their investigation led them to Sullivan’s hotel room, and they were both subsequently shot, authorities say. Bailey remains in the hospital.

Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe has called on the federal government to file charges and pursue the death penalty for the defendants.

Rittmanic’s family, friends, and fellow police officers congregated at Olivet Nazarene University in the Hawkins Centennial Chapel on Friday, according to NBC 5.

Rittmanic’s wife Lyn Stua solemnly gave the eulogy.

Watch Below:

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“Our world has been turned upside down, obliterated, and hopelessly broken,” Stua said in part.

“God speed to Illinois State Police investigation, state’s attorney Jim Rowe and his team. May justice be swift and reflective of their actions,” she later added.

“Marlene Rittmanic Stua, you are my whole reason for living, you are my hero, and my heart is empty without you,” she continued. “I will ensure swift and reflective vengeance for you. Hug our mothers, our sisters, and previous hounds. Rest in peace, my love.”

Stua also spoke regarding Tyler Bailey, who was shot in the head and remains hospitalized.

“Tyler is not out of the woods by far,” Stua said. “He has a road of recovery, and please don’t forget him in all of this. Pray for him.”

In a joint statement, Rittmanic’s family and the Bradley Police Department said the fallen officer was a “leader in community policing,” according to NBC Chicago. They added she would “work together to find a solution that produced the least disruption in people’s lives.”

The statement added:

…She believed – and stated, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Meaning – if you have statutory grounds to arrest a person, tow their car, or fine them, doesn’t mean you should. If she pulled over a single mother without a $1 to her name but clearly had violations, she would consider the long-term consequences of creating more debt to someone that is already impoverished.

Following services at Hawkins Centennial Chapel, spectators lined streets as a procession of hundreds of cars traveled to Abraham Lincoln National Cemetary, her final resting place.

A few of our members traveled downstate today to show our support of the Bradley Police Department and pay our respects to Bradley Police Sgt. Rittmanic. Thank you for your service, Sgt. Rest in Peace. pic.twitter.com/1Rqm7HG25W

— NapervillePD (@NapervillePD) January 7, 2022

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Rittmanic, a 21-year law enforcement veteran, had recently received the Officer of the Year Award for Kankakee County, per ABC Chicago. Rittmanic had a passion and love for dogs, as she and Stua adopted multiple rescues throughout their relationship. She was also “a published poet, amateur photographer and film producer for family, police and community events,” per NBC Chicago.

ABC Chicago reports one of her poems were read aloud at her services:

“The color we bleed is that of deep blue.

The blood that is shed is without asking for who.

No choice in what we do, where we go or when we die.

The color we bleed is that of deep blue.

All too often one will pay the ultimate price.

Those who wear the uniform accept the sacrifice.

Beyond the call of duty one day might be mine.

No regrets, sorrow or fear as I walk the blue line.

The color I’ll bleed is that of deep blue.”

Rittmanic is survived by her wife, father, five of her sisters, a brother, and nieces and nephews, according to her obituary.