The resolution – which passed by unanimous consent – disavows the shooting “in the strongest possible terms”, calling the attack that killed Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer Brent Thompson and police officers Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens and Michael Smith a “heinous attack”.
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A few hundred mourners gathered for a private Catholic memorial service for Smith, a former U.S. Army Ranger known for his upbeat attitude and compassionate approach to others. “You would have thought I had hung the moon”, he said.
Two little girls who both lost their fathers in the Dallas police shooting last week shared a poignant moment at yesterday’s memorial.
Lt. Ruben Diaz says all of the funerals they serve hold equal importance, but to lose so many officers at once does make this assignment a little different. Dallas police officer Senior Cpl.
But he also was the one with a kind heart.
“Later I found out he was sleeping on the floor of his apartment”, Coffey said, so he gave him some furniture and a bed, and Ahrens was overjoyed.
That’s how a self-described “corn-fed country boy” wound up friends with Ahrens, a “heavy metal-listening tattooed city boy”.
Taylor recalled Ahrens’ sense of humor.
As his wife, Emily, spoke at the service, she stood with her partner, “just in case I need back up”.
Ahrens volunteered in uniform at the school his 8-year-old and 10-year-old children attended, said his mother-in-law, Karen Buckingham.
Still, this latest revelation isn’t surprising, the Los Angeles-based writer said, given how the police force in the United States originated.
Fellow colleagues said he was a dedicated professional who always had a smile on his face.
The Dallas Police Department’s first-in-the-nation use of the robot to deliver and detonate a bomb has triggered buzz about the use of machines designed for surveillance and disarming bombs. Thompson was remembered by Pastor Rick Lamb as a fearless public servant.
He added, “It shouldn’t have happened. The Lord has him now”.
The service was led by celebrity Bishop T.D. Jakes and featured a montage of photos of newlywed Thompson with family, friends and fellow officers.
Law enforcement officers pray after the graveside service for Dallas police Sgt. Michael J. Smith at Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery in Dallas, Thursday, July 14, 2016.
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Information for this article was contributed by Kevin Freking and David Warren of The Associated Press.
