Funerals begin for slain Dallas police officers
Funeral services have not yet been held for two other slain officers, Patricio Zamarripa and Michael Krol
Dallas, July 14: Funerals were held on Wednesday for two of the five officers killed in last week’s sniper shooting in Dallas, one day after President Barack Obama addressed a public memorial service honoring the slain police.
Onlookers paused to pay their respects to Lorne Ahrens of the Dallas police department and Brent Thompson, an officer with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, as public funeral processions snaked along area roads.
A Catholic mass was held for a third officer, Michael Smith.
The men were among five officers shot to death last week during an ambush by
a black gunman who said he was acting in revenge for recent shootings of black Americans by white police officers.
The gunman, 25- year- old Micah Johnson, was killed during last Thursday’s standoff.
During the funeral service at the cavernous Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, fellow officer Debbie Taylor described Ahrens ( 48) as a “gentle giant” who “strived to be the best, most knowledgeable officer.”
The police comprised most of the audience at the suburban Dallas church, which seats 7,000.
Eddie Coffey, who studied at the police academy at the same time as Ahrens, recalled his tattooed friend’s love of heavy- metal music.
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 police believe Thompson died trying to save Ahrens during the shootout.