Crowds gathered Tuesday morning at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall to mourn the loss of Dallas Police Officer Rogelio Santander, slain a week ago by a gunman being detained at a Home Depot in northeast Dallas.
For at least seven miles along I-30 eastbound, billboards were lit with photos in Santander's memory. Many local residents lined the service road leading up to the church in Rockwall waving American flags or draping them over their shoulders, the Dallas Star-Telegram reported.
A crowd estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 turned out for the funeral, including police officers from Chicago, Suffolk, New York City, Aurora, Colo., representing the Brotherhood of the Fallen organization, and officers from across Texas.
The bishop of Dallas' Roman Catholic Diocese told mourners that Santander was a man of character and discipline who put his family first. Bishop Edward Burns spoke during the funeral for 27-year-old Santander.
The bishop says that as a boy, Santander wanted to fight crime like Batman. He says the officer "wanted to save a city."
Another officer and a store employee were injured in the April 24 shooting . The suspect, Armando Luis Juarez, is charged with capital murder. He's being held at the Dallas County jail, the Associated Press reported.
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