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Central Texas agencies honor fallen San Marcos police officer

Posted at 2:24 PM, Dec 11, 2017
and last updated 2018-07-24 21:31:16-04

Several Central Texas agencies plan to attend the funeral for an officer killed in the line of duty last week.

According to police, Kenneth Copeland was shot to death while he was serving a warrant on Dec. 4. 

McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara is wearing a black band over his badge to show respect for the fallen officer.

"I know it has been there a lot there than it has been off in the last few months. It seems like I never take it off,” McNamara said.

On Wednesday, he plans to attend the third funeral of a law enforcement member who died in the line of duty in a month. Department of Public Safety Trooper Thomas Nipper and Trooper Damon Allen passed away last month.

"I think it's important to honor the officer any way we can and the least thing we can do is to be there," McNamara said.

Two members of the Waco Honor Guard Pipes and Drums, including Wade Kaminski, also plan to go to San Antonio to show their support through music.

There's something about playing that music that just reaches very deep on everybody,” Kaminski said.

The Waco firefighter who has been a member of the group for three years said playing at the funeral of a fallen brother is an emotional experience.

"The tunes that we play. When we play amazing grace as a piper, or you are just part of that, as a drummer, laying a brother to rest, is a tough thing to do," Kaminski said.

McNamara said it is also tough to think the way Copeland lost his life.

"It's an extremely sad situation that you have these low life pieces of trash who want to gun down police officers,” McNamara said.

He is also saddened to know another family lost a loved one.

"It's very emotional. They're brothers in law enforcement, even though they work in law enforcement, they're still a brother,” McNamara said.

 Other law enforcement agencies in CTX will also be sending representatives to the funeral, including Woodway Public Safety, Waco Police, Mexia Police and Robinson Police.

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