Ever since he was a child, Cook County Correctional Officer Rafael Wordlaw wanted to be a police officer like his grandfather. He also wanted to be the best-dressed person in any room.

His family said he managed to do both before the 31-year-old was senselessly gunned down at a South Side gas station last month.

Family and police officials mourned their loss Friday at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in the south suburb of Harvey and celebrated Wordlaw as a protector and hero.

Among the dozens of officers who appeared in their dress uniforms were Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling.

Wordlaw’s family and friends dressed in red – his favorite color.

“We had to be here to support him in the color he loved,” cousin Lena Webber told reporters outside the church.

Wordlaw was shot and killed on July 30 while trying to protect a friend when a suspect approached him and attempted to rob him at the Clark Gas Station on the corner of 67th Street and Indiana Avenue.

Wordlaw is said to have fired the first shot before the suspect began shooting with two pistols converted to automatic and equipped with drum magazines, firing 69 shots.

Wordlaw was hit in the chest and drove off, crashing into a pole a few blocks away. Wordlaw’s friend, who was in another car at the gas station, was struck twice.

The suspect was shot in the leg and later arrested at a hospital after giving a false name. Blood at the scene matched suspect Cordarrow Thompson, who is charged with murder, authorities said.

The media was not present at Wordlaw’s funeral, but two of Wordlaw’s cousins ​​told reporters outside the church that he had always wanted to work in law enforcement.

“I remember him as a little boy. I once asked him, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And he said, ‘I want to be a police officer,'” Webber said.

Tiffany Davenport, another cousin, said: “He died a hero and a protector.”

“And this is all he wanted to do since he was a little kid. And he fulfilled his dream of becoming sheriff. And I’m so proud of him. And I’m just glad he’s resting in peace,” Davenport said.

An obituary published at the funeral said Wordlaw “aspired to be like his grandfather and follow in his footsteps and have a career in the police force.”

Cook County Sheriff’s Office

At age 15, Wordlaw received a certificate in criminal justice during a youth summer camp, according to his obituary. He graduated from Urban Prep Charter Academy High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Indiana State University.

After college, he worked as a security officer at AGB Investigative Services. In 2020, he joined the Cook County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy officer in Department 6 of the Cook County Jail, where he worked until his death.

Wordlaw was adopted by his aunt at a young age and became friends with his cousins, family said. He enjoyed playing with ring toys and police cars, Davenport said.

As Wordlaw grew up, he was interested in clothing and fashion. According to the obituary, he strove to be the best-dressed at every event. Photos in the obituary show Wordlaw in a dark red tuxedo.

Dart told reporters outside the church that Wordlaw was trying to protect people the night he was killed. He called on lawmakers to increase penalties for people caught with modified guns.

“We live in an insane society where someone with two guns can fire 69 shots in a matter of seconds. And somehow we don’t push our lawmakers to change anything,” Dart said.

“We have to do more. We owe it to this family. This family has lost everything,” Dart said.

Wordlaw’s adoptive father Roy Lee Wordlaw, his biological father Robert Webber Jr., and his sister Angela Wordlaw predeceased him. He is survived by his biological mother Karen Wordlaw, his adoptive mother Margaret Wordlaw, his sisters Francheska and Kendal, and numerous adoptive siblings, cousins ​​and relatives.