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| Slain officer is eulogized |
| By Press Enterprise |
| Published: 01/24/2005 |
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About 100 people gathered last Wednesday night for an intimate candlelight vigil outside the California Institution for Men in honor of slain correctional officer Manuel Gonzalez Jr. Unlike his funeral Tuesday, where thousands of mostly law enforcement officers from around the nation joined to mourn his loss and pay respect to the dangerous duty he died performing, Wednesday's event was mostly for family and friends. Officers and their families gathered around the Gonzalez family and shared stories about their friend and co-worker. Teary-eyed and solemn, they held candles against the dark night and thought of their slain friend. Gonzalez was always kind and professional, Officer Leonard Pomfret said. Many at the vigil were family members of the prison's correctional officers. The killing, the first slaying of a prisons officer in 20 years, sparked fears and nightmares for many. Gonzalez was stabbed to death Jan. 10 at the California Institution for Men in Chino while trying to calm disruptive inmates. He was the first state Department of Corrections officerkilled in the line of duty since a 1985 slaying at San Quentin State Prison. California Youth Authority Officer Ineasie Baker was stabbed to death at a Youth Authority lockup in Chino in 1996. After the vigil, prison officials met with officers' families to talk about their concerns and help them cope with their fears. The outpouring of support for the Gonzalez family and for the officers has gone far to help the officers cope with the tragedy, Peters said. More than 1,000 corrections and police officers, black stripes across their badges, packed the funeral service for Gonzalez on Tuesday at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Whittier. The funeral procession, which was several miles long, closed a portion of Interstate 605. The 43-year-old East Los Angeles native and Army veteran was the father of six children, including two young sons with his fiancée, Tania Cuarda. Youth and Adult Correctional Agency Secretary Roderick Hickman has called for an investigation into Gonzalez's slaying. Meanwhile, three prisoners that authorities believe are affiliated with the East Coast Crips gang have been transferred to different prisons since the attack. Prison officials have identified one inmate, Jon Blaylock, 35, who is serving a sentence for attempted murder, as a suspect in the slaying. |
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