Motorcade for Sgt. Paul Starzyk‏

Today was a special day. It was a day of remembrance for a couple of occasions. The first: to remember September 11, 2001. To remember the innocent lost.

This is an emotional tribute and well worth watching. Get the tissue ready though, it's very heartfelt: http://www.jontzen.com/tribute.htm

The second reason for remembrance today is for Sgt. Paul Starzyk‏. If you haven't already heard, Martinez Police Department lost their second officer in the history of their department. The first one was, I don't know the exact date, but about 30 years ago. The short version: a gentlemen went into a nail salon looking for his estranged wife. Confronted the cousin of his wife. She ended up getting killed. There was a shootout in a nearby apartment and the officer was shot. He was taken to the hospital and died. Then the guys causing the problems was shot and killed at the scene.

Jake and I were able to watch the motorcade from the Laurel Rd overpass in Oakley this afternoon. It was about 30 minutes in length and had hundreds of vehicles involved. We arrived a little before the motorcade began so while we waited, we chatted with officers, firemen, and a photographer for the Contra Costa Times. With Jake now heading into law enforcement it made me watch the motorcade with a sense of pride and a sense of sadness more than I would have normally felt.

Here is some footage we were able to capture.