Memorial

So the officer that I blogged about last month in Fractures... (under "Crazy Town") the one who was shot in the middle of the night, finally succumbed to infection in the ICU last week. She was the first Columbia police officer to die in the line of duty, and the first Boone County officer to do so in over 60 years. They're holding a huge memorial for her today... over 1000 cop cars are expected to be on campus.

In today's Campus Facilities Network News:

Bowden Funeral Services and Procession

An estimated 3,000 people are expected to be on hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Mizzou Arena for a public visitation and funeral services for Officer Molly Bowden. An overflow crowd to the entire surrounding area may occur. Bowden’s visitation is from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., with a 1-2 p.m. funeral service.

This morning’s Missourian reports that following the services, a funeral procession will proceed from the arena via Mick Deaver Drive to Stadium Boulevard and then to Providence Road and on to Business Loop 70 to Memorial Cemetery. As a show of respect for Molly's Brother, (a Campus Facilities employee) and their family, Energy Management and Power Plant folks will line the sidewalk along Providence Road as the procession goes by the Power Plant. Blue bows will also be placed on the trees in front of the coal wall.

A rather poignant aspect of the burial ceremony at Memorial Cemetery will be the “final call” to officer Bowden. Bowden’s patrol car will be parked on a cemetery road just south of the mausoleums where the funeral service will be held. A police dispatch will send a “final call” – a radio broadcast -- to Bowden’s car. After seven seconds and no answer, a second broadcast will be sent. This will be repeated a third and final time, and then the dispatcher will call Bowden out of service . . .

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As I've mentioned before, the Mizzou Basketball Arena (used to be the Paige Arena, until it's namesake was embroiled in a school-related scandal) is located almost just behind my building at work. Mom and I went out to lunch, and it was certainly a sobering sight to see the long lines of police cars flashing their lights on their way to the Arena. The procession is going to start in a few minutes... on Mick Deaver Dr., which is about a block away. Several folks are goin out to watch.

I think the last time this many peeps lined the streets was for the Olympic torch comin through town for the last Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in '02.