Police Officer Alejandro “Alex” Valadez, 27, was a 3-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 007 District.
Shortly after midnight, on June 1, 2009, Officer Valadez and his partner, Officer Thomas Vargas, responded to a shots fired call. When the officers arrived at the 6000 block of South Hermitage Avenue, the gunfire had ceased. Officer Valadez was questioning a man when a car marked with a bullet hole from the earlier shooting returned to the scene. The three men inside of the vehicle were determined to seek revenge. The driver, Kevin Walker, 25, positioned the vehicle as his passengers, Shawn Gaston, 24, and Christopher Harris, 24, aimed to shoot. Seconds later, both officers were on the ground. Officer Vargas was unharmed and stood-up to see his partner and friend bleeding. Officer Valadez had been shot twice. He was rushed to Stroger Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon.
After the shooting, the three men parked their vehicle at 61st Street and Paulina Avenue and attended a party. A .357 magnum, .40 caliber gun, and a rifle were recovered from Kevin Walker’s trunk.
Shawn Gaston was sentenced to serve 125 years in prison. Kevin Walker was sentenced to 120 years and Christopher Harris was sentenced to 105 years in prison.
In 2010, the Valadez Law was enacted in memory of Officer Alejandro Valadez. The law mandates that any gang member found to be in the unlawful possession of a firearm must serve a prison sentence.
Officer Valadez died prior to the birth of his son, Alex, Jr. He is survived by his fiancé, Christina Rodriguez; son, Alex, Jr.; his parents, and siblings.