(Dennis Roscher’s photos are online at https://www.facebook.com/PhotoByDennisRoscher/)
A funeral service at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan., and a procession that went from Kansas City, Kan., to Weston, Mo., honored Detective Brad Lancaster today.
Many officers from the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department as well as from the region, with some from hundreds of miles away, came together for the service.
Detective Lancaster was killed in the line of duty on Monday in Kansas City, Kan. The Kansas Highway Patrol helped provide officers to work in Kansas City, Kan., during the funeral.
The funeral route in places was lined with people who showed their support for the slain officer, his family and other law enforcement officers.
At the request of the family, the Rev. Mark Holland conducted the service. “It’s a tough time to be a cop in America right now,” Holland, who is also the Kansas City, Kan., mayor, said. He said it gave him great hope to see all the law enforcement officers showing a commitment to the city, state and country, and he encouraged them to keep their commitment. He spoke about the importance of faith, hope and love.
Holland and other speakers told stories about Lancaster’s life, pointing out how he liked to make jokes and how he loved the Kansas City Royals, the outdoors and his family.
One fellow officer who spoke said Lancaster was driven by genuine compassion, often worked on his days off, and was “what a policeman should be.”
Another fellow officer talked about his friendship with Lancaster and described how he gave Lancaster his vest to be buried in, since Lancaster’s vest was still being held as evidence.
“There is no doubt that Brad Lancaster was a hero, not because of how he died but because of how he chose to live his life,” Police Chief Terry Zeigler said.
He lived a life of service, and had assisted fellow officers many times in his career, he added. But on Monday, Lancaster encountered pure evil, Zeigler said, the same that has taken so many lives in the nation, and Lancaster sacrificed his life to serve other officers and the community.
“Losing him leaves a hole in our heart that will take a long time to heal,” Zeigler said.