Dallas police Officers Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens and Michael Smith are honored at a public memorial on July 11, four days after they were shot by a sniper.
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Ahrens, a father of two and husband to a fellow Dallas Police detective, was affectionately called “Meat”.
At a concurrent service attended by about 3,000 people at the Potter’s House Church in Dallas, slain officer Thompson, 43, was remembered as a “family man” and practical joker.
The funerals came a day after President Barack Obama praised the slain officers’ heroism, condemned the attack as an “act not just of demented violence but of racial hatred” and made an impassioned plea for national unity.
Obama then addressed fears gripping a nation caught in a bitter debate over policing after the recent police killings of two black men, Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana, earlier in the week. Lorne Ahrens. Funerals for the two other slain officers are set for Friday and Saturday.
The five honor guard members met Wednesday with one of the DART officers wounded during the shooting that followed a Black Lives Matter protest march.
– Thousands of mourners today attended the funerals for three of the five police officers slain last week in Dallas, Texas, one day after U.S. president Barack Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush led a memorial service in the city.
“In integrity, in commitment, honor, and love, we can carry Mike’s legacy on and share those important qualities with our children and future generations”, Wyatt said.
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. A private funeral was held on Wednesday afternoon in Corsicana.
Smith joined the Dallas police force in 1989.
The Honor Guard plans to stay in Dallas until the weekend, serving the Dallas Police Department in any fashion they can.
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Around 5,000 people gathered at the funeral of Ahrens held at the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, according to a Fox-affiliated local station.
