Grief-stricken family and friends wept openly as they emerged from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Beltsville, where more than 1,000 people including police officers, firefighters and curious residents converged to pay their last respects to slain Prince George’s County police Cpl. Richard Findley.
Findley, 39, was killed June 27 after being violently struck in Laurel by a reportedly stolen truck that he was surveilling.
Findley’s family members were welcomed by an honor guard and several color guards from around the state as they arrived for the nearly two-hour service led by the Rev. Michael Quill.
‘‘Richard’s life was a gift to all his relatives, his friends, his professional brothers and sisters,” Quill said. ‘‘You can’t help but remember his devotion as a firefighter and police officer. You can’t help but remember his love of deep sea fishing, volleyball and sports. Certainly, you can’t help but remember his humor and his great laugh.”
The church was at full capacity for the funeral, with hundreds of people listening to the service through speakers on the front lawn.
Many of the speakers addressed Findley’s wife, Kelly, and their two children Nicole, 9, and Lauren, 6, as well as Findley’s mother and three siblings.
County Police Chief Melvin High said that the police department would be there to help them.
‘‘Please know that we are here with you now, and that we’ll continue to be with you as part of our extended family,” he said. ‘‘Please lean on us for whatever you need. Thank you for sharing your son and your brother with our family. While all of us hurt and grieve, we know that our pain is not as deep as yours.”
High promoted Findley posthumously to the rank of police sergeant.
‘‘He will forever be memorialized as one of our department’s fallen heroes,” he said. ‘‘Sergeant Findley, I salute you.”
