The Chicago Police Department’s 3rd District in the Grand Crossing neighborhood honored fallen Officer Dorelle C. Brandon with a dedication and renaming ceremony on September 12, 2026. Brandon was the first female officer in the department’s history to be killed on duty. Her end of watch occurred on January 25, 1984.
During the ceremony, retired Chicago Police Officer Matthew Brandon, the husband of Dorelle C. Brandon, was visibly emotional. The 3rd District Grand Crossing Police Station was officially renamed in her honor, as the Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, attended the event.
A remembrance ribbon was prominently worn by a police officer as a tribute to Officer Brandon. The dedication featured significant moments, including retired Officer Rita Pritchett singing a song in remembrance. Officer Brandon’s tragic death resulted from an accidental shooting by her partner on the city’s Far South Side. She was the first female officer to lose her life in such a manner in the department, and her death marked the second officer casualty within a nine-day span during a drug raid.
Officer Tanya Scott, niece of Dorelle Brandon, was present to pin a remembrance pin on Marvin Brandon, Dorelle’s stepson, ahead of the dedication ceremony. Family members, including Andrea Liggins, Brandon’s sister from Orlando, were also present to honor her memory.
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