KALAMAZOO -- Kalamazoo City Manager Ken Collard has asked that all Kalamazoo city officials observe a moment of silence to coincide with the beginning of fallen Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Officer Eric Zapata's memorial Tuesday at Miller Auditorium.
Metro Transit buses are expected to pull off the road around 11am and church bells will ring across Kalamazoo as the memorial service begins Tuesday. In addition to city officials observing the moment of silence, Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell is asking citizens to observe the moment of silence in Zapata's memory as well.
Zapata, the first KDPS officer killed in the line of fire will be memorialzed in front of an expeced 4000 people including police and emergency officials from Kalamazoo County, Battle Creek, Grand Rapids and departments across the United States.
Flags around the city are also being lowered to half-staff in memory of Zapata. Officer Zapata, 35, a 10-year veteran of KDPS and father of three, was killed just before his shift ended at midnight April 18.
He was responding to a report of “shots fired” on Hays Park when officers say he was confronted by an armed man who fired a fatal shot at Officer Zapata. The suspect is believed to have then turned his weapon on himself. He also died.
WKZO.COM will stream Officer Zapata's Memorial live beginning at 11am.
