Police officers and others stand in line in the 3700 block of South Lowe Avenue for the wake of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer at Nativity of Our Lord Church in Chicago.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Family, friends, fellow officers and members of the public began to say goodbye to Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer Friday.
On the day Bauer would have celebrated his 16th wedding anniversary a visitation was held for the fallen commander.
Bauer, who led the 18th Police District, was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon in a stairwell outside the Thompson Center.
Bauer's casket on Friday proceeded from Dalcamo Funeral Home to Nativity of Our Lord Church in the Bridgeport neighborhood Friday afternoon. His beloved mounted patrol stood proudly in formation.
His casket was met by a large contingent of Chicago police, including the command staff and members from his unit of assignment. Those members received the casket, following tradition.
"I think it speaks for itself. He was just an amazing person, and this is a testament to his effect on society," said Amit Joshi, who attended the visitation.
The wait to enter the church approached three hours, and the line wrapped around one block, then another, and then another.
Bauer's wife, Erin, and 13-year-old daughter Grace climbed the church steps and greeted every member of the public inside.
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Police officers and others stand in line in the 3700 block of South Lowe Avenue for the wake of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer at Nativity of Our Lord Church.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Hundreds of people formed a line three blocks long outside a Bridgeport church Friday for the wake of police Cmdr. Paul Bauer, who was shot and killed earlier in the week while confronting a suspect in the Loop.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Police officers and others stand in line in the 3700 block of South Lowe Avenue for the wake of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer at Nativity of Our Lord Church.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Wake for Commander Paul Bauer takes place at the Nativity of Our Lord Church in the Bridgeport neighborhood where the fallen officer had lived with his wife and teenage daughter.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Police officers and others stand in line in the 3700 block of South Lowe Avenue for the wake of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer at Nativity of Our Lord Church.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Family, friends, and colleagues of police Cmdr. Paul Bauer were gathering near Nativity of Our Lord Church to pay their respects to the slain police veteran Friday afternoon at his family church in Bridgeport.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times