Funeral plans announced for Arlington police officer killed in hit-and-run

Funeral plans for APD officer killed in hit-and-run

Arlington police have announced funeral and visitation information for officer Darrin McMichael, who was killed in a hit-and-run while on his way to work Thursday morning.

ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington police have announced funeral and visitation information for officer Darrin McMichael, who was killed in a hit-and-run while on his way to work Thursday morning.

There will be a visitation from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26, at Wade Funeral Home.

The funeral service will happen on Wednesday, September 27. It will be at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie. A viewing will be from 9-10 a.m., and then the service will start at 10 a.m.

Both events are open to the public.

There is a memorial for McMichael that continues to grow outside the Arlington Police Department.

Cathy Mitchell and her two kids didn’t know McMichael, but felt it was important to pay their respects Saturday at his memorial.

"It breaks my heart, but you feel the love for the officer and the blue family," Mitchell said. "The police are such a big part of our community, I want them to be able to know that you pay your respect to officers, because officers do more for us than most people think."

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office said McMichael was on his way to work when his department motorcycle bumped into the car in front of him and caused him to fall off his motorcycle.

While he was on the ground, the sheriff’s office said a car drove over him on I-20, near Dowdy Ferry Road, and drove off.

McMichael died at the hospital.

"He was coming to work for his community and he lost his life while doing it," McMichael said.

Police still need help from the public to find the driver of the dark-colored Dodge or Chrysler SUV involved in the fatal crash.

In the effort to locate the driver of the dark sedan that struck McMichael, there is now a $5,000 reward through North Texas Crime Stoppers, with hopes that someone will come forward and help investigators locate the driver.

Arlington Police Chief Al Jones on Thursday spoke about McMichael’s nearly 25 years as a member of the department.

For the last 13 years, he was an officer with the motorcycle unit.

Chief Jones is urging the driver to do the right thing.

"Please turn yourself in. We are hurting as an organization and we need closure," he said.

At the time of the crash, McMichael’s wife, who is also an officer for the Arlington Police Department, was driving behind him.

"Please, please pray for them. They are grieving. They need your support now more than ever," he said on Thursday. "He was loved by our community he spent a lot of time out there and he’s going to be truly missed not only by the department but by our community."