California Cop's Memorial Draws Almost 4,000 Blue Supporters
About 4,000 sworn officers from Illinois, Florida, Texas and California attend the service. Officers wore purple ribbons for the ceremony and Officer Wilson's 17-year-old son Conner served as a pallbearer.
San Diego PD's Chief William Lansdowne pays his respects to fallen officer Christopher Wilson at Thursday's memorial service. Photo by John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Almost 4,000 sworn officers from around the nation and 1,000 emergency vehicles participated in a motorcade Thursday morning escorting the body of slain San Diego officer Christopher Wilson, a department spokesman tells POLICE Magazine.
The procession began shortly after 9 a.m. at Qualcomm Stadium and arrived at The Rock church in Point Loma about 90 minutes later for a memorial service for the officer.
At the service, Police Chief William Lansdowne gave a tribute to the 17-year veteran killed in a shootout on Friday.
"Chris will always be a member of our family here at the San Diego Police Department," Lansdowne said in statement. "We will miss him and we appreciate his service to the people of San Diego."
Mayor Jerry Sanders, a former chief, also spoke, saying Wilson was a relentless optimist with a "dignity about him," reports the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Officers wore purple ribbons for the ceremony as a tribue because that was Wilson's favorite color.
Officer Wilson's 17-year-old son Conner served as a pallbearer. Daughter Kaylee poke at the service, saying her father "told me he loved me every chance he got."
Wilson was a 17-year patrol officer and field trainer in the Southeast Division. He was a large-framed officer (6 feet, 3 inches, 250 pounds) who fellow officers referred to as "good cover" because he could a lways be counted on.
"He was a quiet leader," San Diego Police Det. Gary Hassen told POLICE Magazine following the four-hour service. "He was a mentor to younger officers. The community loved him."
Wilson was fatally shot Friday backing up probation officers and U.S. Marshals checking up on Alex Charfauros and Holim Lee. Wilson was hit by buckshot, as he and four other San Diego officers kicked in a bedroom door.
Officers arrived from across the nation to attend the ceremony from agencies across California, Chicago, Tampa Bay and Texas.
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