Thousands Expected at Service for Slain Tacoma Officer

TACOMA (AP) — Thousands are expected at a memorial service to honor a Tacoma police officer who was fatally shot while responding to a domestic dispute.

The memorial service for Officer Reginald "Jake" Gutierrez is to begin at 1 p.m. Friday at the Tacoma Dome.

The News Tribune says a procession of law enforcement and fire vehicles will make its way from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, past the Tacoma police headquarters before heading to the Tacoma Dome.

The 45-year-old officer, who joined the Tacoma Police Department in 1999, was shot and killed Nov. 30 while responding to a domestic dispute. The suspected gunman was killed by a sheriff's marksman, ending an 11-hour standoff.

Gutierrez's sister in a previous statement called him a hero who loved his job and said he ran toward danger when others ran away. Antoinette Gutierrez also thanked law enforcement officers and the community for the outpouring of love.