Aurora – Doug Byrne was the kind of police officer you’d want to be first at the scene, a man those who knew him said at his funeral today was a jokester but also one who brought calmness to the most stressful of situations.
And he was so much more than that.
“Doug was our son, our brother, our uncle, friend, servant, soldier and my golfing buddy,” said fellow Aurora Police officer Gary Rivale.
About 1,500 police officers from throughout the region, family, friends and others gathered at the Heritage Christian Center this morning to pay tribute to Byrne. The 37-year-old officer died early Monday after he crashed his police cruiser responding to a medical emergency Sunday night.
Gov. Bill Ritter talked to the crowd about the sacrifices police make every day, and how they, like Byrne, risk their lives to help others.
“On behalf of the people of this state, I come to offer you our condolences, our love, our gratitude,” the governor said.
The 1 1/2 hour ceremony was filled with memories about Byrne’s commitment to public service.
As a Marine, he served in the first Persian Gulf War, then came back to his home state of Colorado and became a police officer in Glendale for six years, then to Aurora as a cop for the last three years.
Byrne’s good friend, Sgt. John Quinn of the Glendale Police Department, talked about his buddy’s prankster habits. He recalled a time when Byrne and his partner donned mullet wigs while making a traffic stop. The two asked for Quinn’s backup, and when he got there, Quinn couldn’t stop cracking up.”
“It was like a scene out of Super Troopers,” Quinn said. “They were doubled over in laughter.”
Michelle Grizzle had never met Byrne, but she came to his memorial service anyway. Her son, Justin, is an Aurora police officer, too.
She worries about the morale of the police department now. Byrne was the second Aurora officer to die in the line of duty in the last six months. Detective Mike Thomas was shot and killed in September at an Aurora intersection.
“This one took even more out of them,” Grizzle said. “They look so stunned. You can see it in their eyes.”
Following his memorial service, Byrne was laid to rest at the Fort Logan National Cemetery with full military honors.
Police Chief Dan Oates thanked everyone who tried to save Byrne’s life, and to the countless others who have comforted the department since.
At the end of his speech, Oates asked them to applaud the fallen officer, and the crowd clapped for about 45 seconds.
“He was the best we had to offer to any citizen in need,” Oates said. “He died a hero.”
Maybe what signified Byrne’s caring nature most came from a story recalled by Aurora Deputy Police Chief Terry Jones. Jones said the chief received an email the day Byrne died from a man who had been arrested by the officer on an outstanding warrant.
The man, Jones said, had a dog with him when he was arrested, so Byrne made sure the pet was taken care of, Jones said. He also drove the suspect to an ATM machine so he could get enough money to make bond.
The next day, the man sent another email: “I guess God needed a good police officer in heaven.”
Staff writer Carlos Illescas can be reached at 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com.
