Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 25 years, 3 months, 7 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: Office of Operations, Bureau of Detectives, Unit 610 - Bureau of Detectives - Area Central
District of Incident (Present Day): 002 - Wentworth
Cause of Death: Illness - COVID-19
Age at Time of Death: 56
Timeline
Date of Birth: 04 Jun 1963
Date of Appointment: 03 Jan 1995
Date of Incident: 20 Mar 2020
End of Watch: 10 Apr 2020
Date of Interment:
Interment Details
Cemetery: Lincoln Cemetery - Chicago, Illinois
Grave Location: Unknown
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # D-11
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel #25
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 5, Line 29
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 8-E: 32
Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed
Service
Military Service: Unknown
Incident & Biographic Details
Sergeant Clifford Willie Martin, Sr., Star #1456, aged 56 years, was a 25 year, 3 month, 7 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the Office of Operations, Bureau of Detectives, Unit 610 – Bureau of Detectives – Area Central.
On March 20, 2020, Sergeant Martin began experiencing minor symtoms of COVID-19 and went to the ER at the University of Chicago Hospital to be tested. On March 22, 2020 at 10:43 a.m., Sergeant Martin was placed on the “Medical Roll“ after contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty. On March 29, 2020, he was hospitalized at the University of Chicago Hospital, located at 5700 South Maryland Avenue, where he was admitted to the ICU and would later succumb to the illness. He was pronounced dead by Dr. Avery Tung at 12:27 p.m. on April 10, 2020. On April 13, 2020, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Interim Superintendent Charles Beck announced that Officer Martin’s death would be classified as in the line of duty. Sergeant Martin was the second Chicago Police Officer to die in the line of duty from COVID-19.
Sergeant Clifford W. Martin, Sr., born June 4, 1963, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on January 3, 1995 and he attended the Jackson Street Police Academy. On February 16, 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and issued Star #1456. He earned 1 Police Officer of the Month Award, 9 Department Commendations, 2 Joint Operations Awards, 5 Attendance Recognition Awards, The 2019 Crime Reduction Award, The 2009 Crime Reduction Award, The 2004 Crime Reduction Award, the NATO Summit Service Award, 1 Democratic Convention Service Award, 7 Honorable Mentions, 1 Physical Fitness Award and 8 Complimentary Letters during his career.
Sergeant Martin was waked at Calahan Funeral Home located at 7030 South Halsted Street. He was laid to rest on April 21, 2020 in Lincoln Cemetery, 12300 South Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Sergeant Martin was a member of the Police Benevolent & Protective Association. He was survived by his wife, Robin Renae Martin (nee Shannon), age 55 and children: Clifford Willie, Jr. (CPD), age 23, Kaysee Hayes, age 30 and Shannon (CPD), age 30.
Incident Recorded under Chicago Police Department RD #JD206287.
On September 21, 2021, Officer Martin’s star was retired by Superintendent of Police David O’Neal Brown and enshrined in the Superintendent’s Honored Star Case, located in the lobby at Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue.