BRIDGEPORT — A graffiti artist has defaced the Horse of Honor statue outside Fabulous Freddies Italian Eatery.
Part of the Horses of Honor program that pays tribute to fallen law enforcement officers, the statue was installed at 701 W. 31st St. in December to remember Chicago Police Officer William J. Luce.
Freddies owner Stephanie Fitzpatrick discovered the graffiti artist tag across the horse's neck. She has no idea when the vandal marked the horse. She plans to look at surveillance video before going to police.
“It’s horrible,” Fitzpatrick said. “The kids nowadays just seem to be so disrespectful and don’t care about other people’s stuff.”
Bridgeport-area artist Erika Vazzana created the artwork covering the horse, which includes images of the city skyline and a police badge. The news upset her.
"A message for people who deface art: You're defacing more than you realize," Vazzana said.
Luce spent two decades with Chicago Police, assigned to the department’s Special Operations Unit. He was exposed to radiation during firearms testing and suffered severe burns on his body and face.
Luce, who wore star number 14287, died from cancer on Aug. 14, 1989. He was 45.
His son, Brian, posted his displeasure on Facebook after hearing news about the graffiti.
“It’s a beautiful horse,” Luce wrote. “The person that chose to deface the horse most likely has no idea what the horse stands for…It represents a man that was loved, respected and appreciated.”
Vazzana plans to cover the graffiti as soon as possible.
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