Thousands gather to remember slain San Diego police officer

Hundreds of law enforcement officers from all over the country and thousands of others converged on El Cajon on Friday for the second of two services for the San Diego police officer who was killed in the line of duty last week.

The memorial service for Jonathan De Guzman began at 11 a.m. at the Shadow Mountain Community Church. Gov. Jerry Brown, California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer were some of the officials attending.

The church and its satellite rooms have the capacity to hold 4,100 people and church officials say the premises were filled to capacity and believe that some 4,500 people are among the standing-room-only crowd.

Harris and Faulconer as well as San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman were to speak, as will De Guzman’s 17-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter.

The church provided a live feed of the solemn ceremony, which can be seen here.

De Guzman was gunned down last week when he and his partner Wade Irwin were met with immediate gunfire after Irwin asked a pedestrian a question. Irwin survived the shooting, and despite taking a bullet to the throat, he was able to fire back and wound the gunman, police said.

The 43-year-old came to the United States from the Philippines when he was 20 years old. De Guzman met his wife, Mary Jane, in 1993 and the couple married in 1998.

De Guzman started working for the San Diego Police Department in 2000. He worked on patrol in the Mid City, Northern and Central divisions before joining the gang suppression team in 2010. He was also a member of the department’s SWAT unit. He was awarded several honors for service including the Purple Heart after he was stabbed during a traffic stop.

His funeral was held on Thursday, where Zimmerman’s words about her officer, colleague and friend brought her and the mourners to tears.

Friday there will be more prayers and more tears as De Guzman’s wife, children, extended family, fellow officers and people who never knew De Guzman but wanted to honor his sacrifice, say their goodbyes at the service that was preceded by a miles-long procession that began at 9 a.m. at Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley.

Some 127 motor officers with red and blue lights flashing led the motorcade as it made its way from Mission Valley to El Cajon before it passed under a huge American flag hoisted by fire engines outside the church. They were followed by the hearse carrying De Guzman’s casket and the cars carrying his family and then by hundreds of patrol vehicles from many different law enforcement agencies.

The police department has issued an advisory to drivers that traffic will be heavily affected by the motorcade after the service to Glen Abbey Cemetery in Bonita, where De Guzman will be laid to rest.