Photo: Kendall Buhl/WBZ NewsRadio
WALTHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Thousands of people paid their respects to fallen Waltham police officer Paul Tracey at his funeral Friday.
Tracey, a 28-year veteran of the Waltham Police Department, was struck and killed on Dec. 6 when a pickup truck driver crashed into a utility work site on Totten Pond Road. Roderick Jackson, a National Grid worker, was also killed in the crash.
Crowds of onlookers lined Waltham's streets as the procession carrying Tracey's body made its way to Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted church on Trapelo Road, where his wake was held the previous night. The procession arrived at the church to the sounds of the Massachusetts State Police Pipes and Drums band.
"Being a police officer, it’s like a calling to serve and to do right, and you always rely on the man or woman to your right or left," said retired trooper Matthew Guarino, the group's drum major. "When someone is killed in the line of duty, it’s really felt by everybody."
Family, friends, Waltham citizens, and hundreds of police officers from across Massachusetts and around the country packed inside and outside the church for Tracey's funeral; it was an immensely strong outpouring of love for the man who dedicated his life to protecting and serving his hometown.
"He went into the Marines after he graduated high school, and then he came back to Waltham and he served the city for 28 years," said Sherry, who went to high school with Tracey and traveled from New Hampshire to attend the service. "He cannot be replaced."
"It’s unreal, it’s awesome," said Sandy, a Tracey family friend who was floored by Friday's attendance. "I said, 'What a shame that he doesn’t realize what is going on for him.' And my little granddaughter said, 'He knows, he knows.'"
Weston Police Chief Denis Linehan told WBZ NewsRadio, "What we do day in and day out is no different if you’re in a town or city. That’s why it’s such a strong brotherhood and sisterhood."
After the funeral service ended, Tracey's casket was taken to be buried at the officer's final resting place at Mount Feake Cemetery.
A wake and funeral for Roderick Jackson will be held Saturday in Cambridge.
WBZ's Kendall Buhl reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App