A large crowd of mourners and first responders lined the streets of suburban Denver in a stunning display of unity on Friday to pay their respects to Douglas County Sheriff’s deputy Zackari Parrish, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Sunday in an “ambush-style” attack that also injured six others.
KUSA-TV posted a powerful image of the robust motorcade on Interstate 25 that was transporting the hearse of the 29-year-old father of two to Cherry Hills Community Church on its Facebook page.
A powerful sight along I-25 this morning, as Deputy Zackari Parrish is escorted for a memorial service at Cherry Hills Community Church.
Posted by 9NEWS (KUSA) on Friday, January 5, 2018
According to the Washington Post, the procession was led by about 80 officers on motorcycles and ended with bagpipers and drummers. As can be seen in the photo, saluting firefighters stood atop trucks, while others gathered on overpasses and lined local streets. In two spots, large American flags were reported to be hung from ladder trucks.
On Sunday, Parrish and his fellow responding officers were fired on by 37-year-old Matthew Riehl, upon responding to a 911 call he made from his apartment. Riehl, a veteran and former Wyoming attorney who the Post described as someone with “mental health problems” that “previously raised alarms,” was later killed by a SWAT team in a firefight that also wounded an officer.
There has been an overwhelming outpouring of support for Parrish’s widow and children, and, as KUSA-TV reported on Thursday, the public was invited to attend the 11 a.m. funeral service for the fallen officer on Friday. Additionally, donations are being collected through the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Fallen Officer Fund to assist the Parrish family.
(H/T: KUSA-TV)