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Thousands Gather to Mourn Slain CHP Officer

San Mateo officers were among those in attendance at the funeral Thursday.

Several thousand law enforcement officers, government officials and community members gathered in Vacaville Thursday morning to say goodbye to California Highway Patrol Officer Kenyon Youngstrom, who was shot and killed by a driver during a routine traffic stop last week.

The memorial service for the 37-year-old CHP officer and father of four at Mission Church in Vacaville drew a wide roster of state and local officials, including Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris.

San Mateo Police Sgt. Dave Norris said two San Mateo police lieutenants and a sergeant were also among those in attendance at the funeral.

The service came after Youngstrom was shot in the head on Sept. 4 by 36-year-old Christopher Boone Lacy, the driver of a Jeep Wrangler he had stopped on Interstate Highway 680 near Alamo for an obstructed license plate.

Youngstrom's CHP partner, Officer Tyler Carlton, then shot Lacy multiple times, killing him. Youngstrom was pronounced dead the next day at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

Carlton was among several speakers at Thursday's memorial service.

"Ken, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for always being there for me, and I look forward to seeing you again some day," he said, receiving a standing ovation.

Youngstrom's eldest son Alex also spoke, talking about his father's "goofy" antics around the house.

"He went out of his way to make people laugh," he said. "We're going to miss him a lot."

Since the shooting, the officer's organ and tissue donations have gone to four California residents, including a 52-year-old Bay Area woman who had been waiting for a decade for a transplant and a 29-year-old mother who received Youngstrom's left kidney and pancreas.

Bay City News Service contributed to this article.

 

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Bren May 19, 2013 at 06:49 pm
I see that I meant to type "...that connect us to the past," but I accidentally typedRead More "...and connect us to the past." I think my meaning came through, though. Yes, the world does not need another national chain retail store or restaurant, which is surely what they're planning to put in there.
CP May 19, 2013 at 02:22 pm
Yes Bren, agree with you....good point.....really what it seems to come down to is money vs. theRead More good of the community and richness of traditions. And all despite the Master Plan for that site in San Mateo that seems to require an ice skating rink or similar recreational facility AT THAT SITE, and all despite the fact the Ice Chalet would like to continue operations there. The Developer has made it difficult to impossible for any ice rink to operate there (tricky it seems)....so they can get a cookie cutter retail outlet in ? .....very, very sad for the youth of the community.
Bren May 17, 2013 at 10:09 am
I think the issue is much larger than whether children will experience stress. That ice rink is aRead More local institution, dating back at least to when Fashion Island was there. It's terrible for communities to lose so many landmarks and connect us to the past.
Anita Reimann April 29, 2013 at 11:43 am
Dear Ari, Thank you for your service to our community. It's wonderful that you are already making aRead More difference.