Hundreds gather for funeral of fallen Mesquite police officer
MESQUITE, Texas - Funeral services were held Thursday for a fallen Mesquite police officer.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall to honor the life of Officer Richard Houston.
Officers from various law enforcement agencies traveled to pay tribute to his life and service.
Houston was shot last Friday while responding to a disturbance in a grocery store parking lot.
Police said a man who was caught in a love triangle shot Houston and then shot himself. That man is still in the hospital.
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Mesquite Police Chief David Gill said Houston followed his father into policing in Mesquite.
"When you get to that page in that deal that says where else have you applied, and Richard wrote none, there is no other place, there was no backup plan. It was Mesquite. That is what I wanted," Gill said.
Assistant Chief Doug Yates spoke to Houston’s fellow officers.
"Officers, you and me, we can handle the weight of your badge together. When you can’t carry yours, I will and when mine gets too heavy I know you'll step in because that’s what Richard, my friend, would have us do," he said.
The only song in the service was the lord's prayer, sung acapella by Mesquite Sgt. Cameron MacKay.
There were no dry eyes as daughter Shelby, who preached her first sermon two days before her dad was killed, talked about her dad.
"You know, I knew this day would come at some point in my life. However I didn’t think it would come so soon," she said. "18 years with you, daddy, was just not enough time."
She also discussed suspect Jamie Jaramillo, who authorities say fatally shot Houston.
"My prayer is that someday down the road I get to spend some time with the man who shot my father. Not to scream at him, not to yell at him, not to scold him, simply to tell him about Jesus,"
Pastor Wade reminded all in attendance of Houston’s faith and the hope believers have.
"There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for ones friends," he said, reading a line from scripture.
Houston was buried after the service in a private ceremony for immediate family and friends.
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