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Parker's Honor Guard Attends Funeral For Murdered NYC Officer

PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) - Thousands of uniformed officers from around the country attended the funeral service for New York Police Officer Rafael Ramos in New York on Saturday. That included three members of the Parker Police Department's honor guard.

Ramos and fellow officer, Wenjian Liu, were murdered by a gunman.

It was the first time the Parker Police Department's honor guard had ever traveled out of state on a commitment. But they said they were so shocked by the deaths of the two NYC police officers they decided to make an exception and board a plane.

"There is a very rich tradition in how each thing has to be performed … how the flag is folded, where you stand, how the march is done," Lt. Chris Peters with the Parker Police Department said.

They are traditions that bind the family in blue -- regardless of their zip code. So for the Parker Police Department Honor Guard, tragedy in New York is their own.

"It was scary. It was shocking; sad," Peters said.

Peters is Parker's honor guard commander. He helped send two officers and a detective to New York Friday morning to provide a presence at Officer Ramos' funeral.

"The chief ultimately thought that the events in New York last weekend were so extraordinary that they required an extraordinary response from us," Peters said.

The response from the NYPD when he made the call brought some levity to a time of grief.

"I could hear him pull the phone away, 'Hey, it's Colorado calling … they're coming too.' "

PARKER PD TO NY
(credit: Parker Police Department)

The Parker Honor Guard contingent stood at attention and saluted the flag, casket and family members along with thousands of their fellow officers. It was a show of solidarity and a duty that gives the honor guard its name.

"You're in a team, but it's so much more than a team -- it's a family."

Colorado was one of at least 23 states who was represented in New York. Several other Colorado agencies, including Aurora and the Douglas County Sheriff's Department, also sent officers.

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