By Liset Marquez and Brian Rokos
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Ontario, Calif.
POMONA, Calif. — As the rain fell outside Pomona’s Purpose Church on a dreary Thursday morning, hundreds of law enforcement officers, civic leaders and other mourners gathered solemnly inside to honor the short life of Pomona police Officer Greggory Casillas, who was killed in the line of duty just days away from finishing his field training.
During an emotional hour-and-a-half ceremony, mourners recalled in tearful detail a young man inspired to help others and to be a devoted husband and doting father — and whose legacy in the community will persist.
Casillas, 30, was shot to death March 9 as he and his partner approached an apartment where a reckless-driving suspect had taken refuge. His partner was injured but survived.
“Lord, we have lost a champion of the community,” Glenn Gunderson, Purpose Church’s lead pastor, said in his opening prayer. “Greg Casillas has done the ultimate act of sacrifice for us.”
Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval addressed a crowd estimated at more than 2,000, mostly police officers from around the country, during a ceremony that moved many speakers to tears. Among those paying tribute was California Gov. Jerry Brown.
“Officer Casillas’ selflessness and dedication to Pomona will never be forgotten, and his loss will forever be mourned in the city. Today we mourn the loss of a real-life superhero, the end of a promising story, ending long before many of its greatest chapters were to be written,” Sandoval said.
Casillas’ brother-in-law, Arturo Fematt Jr., recalled a day when Casillas gave his son a police sticker in the shape of a police badge. The boy then excitedly ran up to Fematt and exclaimed, “Now I”m a superhero like Tio Greg.”
“‘He’s out there fighting crime, arresting bad guys … for that, he’s a superhero,’” Fematt told mourners including those in a tent set up outside to accommodate the overflow crowd.
Some comic book heroes can’t ever be killed off, and in some ways Casillas’ legacy of service and friendship will always be there, mourners said.
Rather than speak of despair, a former classmate in the sheriff’s academy, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Christian Guevara, wanted to talk about hope and honor and to celebrate Casillas’ life.
He said Casillas helped him through the academy in everything from learning to shoot to shining his boots.
“I know he’ll be with me on the streets, he’ll be with me in my time of need, when I need to make a decision. He’ll be my guardian angel the rest of my career,” Guevara said.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR OFFICER
Throughout the morning a small crowd gathered in front of Purpose Church on N. Garey Avenue. More than a dozen people, many with their cell phones out, recorded as the casket, draped with an American flag, was brought in.
Fontana resident Carlos Navarro said he was saddened to learn about the young officer’s death.
“I admire these officers and what they do — my son is involved in law enforcement,” he said. “They have families but they are in danger of losing their lives every day just to protect other people.”
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The ceremony began with an honor guard saluting Casillas’ family, and bagpipe players led in the pallbearers.
The stage featured 11 round red-and-white floral displays. There were also floral displays in the image of a Pomona police patch and a Pomona police badge. Three giant screens showed a picture of Casillas and later a video tribute that featured images of the officer with his wife, Claudia, and two boys. During the tribute, a song from Mexican group Los Bukis played; “Quiereme” poignantly begins and ends with the sound of ocean waves, and describes aching love and loss.
A large portrait of Casillas also graced the stage.
Gregory Casillas IV, speaking slowly with heavy emotion in his voice, said his son cared enough to be a police officer and a guardian of the people.
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“He was twice the man I was,” he said. “He was a man. Once he decided what he was going to do, no matter what – fire, rain – he was going to get it done.”
Speakers had words of condolence for Casillas’ family, along with good wishes for the continued recovery of Casillas’ partner, Alex Nguyen – who also was shot — and words of praise for the law enforcement profession.
“Sometimes law enforcement seems like an anonymous body of people of whom we expect a great deal every day,” said Sandoval, the Pomona mayor. “Very often we want more from them, to do the impossible. Tragedies like this remind us of the fragility of life of our police officers. It reminds us that they have names, families and dreams and aspirations. They’re human. And while we pray it never happens, the greatest sacrifice an officer makes is giving his or her life to protect others. Officer Greg Casillas laid down his life to protect and serve the community.”
Police Chief Michael Olivieri read from an essay Casillas had written when he applied to be a police officer in 2016. Casillas already had already worked in the records bureau and jail by that time.
Casillas’ parents had moved the family, which included younger brothers Shawn and Dominick, a few times in the Los Angeles area to provide them better opportunities. Casillas did the same for his sons, Mariano and Gregorio. Casillas recalled meeting police officers who handed him DARE Dodgers baseball cards and wrote that he decided he wanted to be a police officer, too, to help the community.
“I believe that I can make that difference,” Casillas wrote.
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Said Olivieri: “Officer Casillas, you certainly made a difference.”
Fematt recalled how Casillas, always the proud father, was willing to do anything for his children.
Last Halloween, Casillas dressed up as a banana to complete a family costume, with his youngest son, Mariano, 5 months as a monkey; Gregorio, 4, as Mario; and his wife, Claudia, as a mushroom.
“He told me, ‘All my dreams are coming true,’” he recalled Casillas saying, noting that he had the girl of his dreams, two wonderful children and his dream job.
Guevara laughed a little when describing Casillas as a comedian. He recalled some of the silly arguments the pair shared, including what was the best soup.
“I know it was posole,” Guevara said to laughs from those in attendance.
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TRAGEDY FOR POMONA RESIDENTS
As the church ceremony ended, the bagpipe players led the pallbearers outside, and the Casillas family followed.
As the procession to Forest Lawn – Covina Hills began to make its way onto Mission Boulevard, a sudden hush fell over the crowd.
Dozens lined both sides of the boulevard in front of the police station to watch as Casillas’ body made its final journey from the church to the cemetery. There the procession passed under an American flag suspended from the ladders of two Los Angeles County fire trucks.
While most held umbrellas, some held up and waved American flags. Many continued to watch the procession, which lasted 30 minutes, despite a steady downpour.
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Deborah Avila, who was born and raised in Pomona, became emotional as she spoke about Casillas. Although Avila didn’t know him, she said it still felt like losing a family member.
“I was hoping everyone would get together and show them love,” she said, referring to the family. “There’s so many of us that love Pomona, and to see something like this happen in our town is very sad.”
She was touched by the outpouring of support the department has received.
“The only thing we can do now is pray for our officers and for our first-responders that everyone is kept safe,” Avila said.
Just then, as raindrops pelted her coat, Avila lamented: “Rain cleans things; maybe it’ll clean this city.”
©2018 the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.)