Eulogy given by Chief William Bratton for Officer Randal Simmons on February 15, 2008.
I WANT TO TALK BRIEFLY WITH YOU ABOUT MY IMPRESSIONS OF RANDY SIMMONS AND ABOUT A LIFE WELL LED.
MANY OF US IN THIS CHURCH ARE PRIVILEGED TO WEAR THE BADGE THAT
IDENTIFIES US AS POLICE OFFICERS OR FIREFIGHTERS. NINETY SIX HUNDRED
LOS ANGELES POLICE OFFICERS LIKE RANDY WEAR A BADGE THAT IS PROBABLY
THE MOST WELL KNOWN AND RECOGNIZED IN THE WORLD. AND LIKE RANDY, WE
WEAR IT WITH PRIDE.
WE ARE PRIVILEGED BECAUSE OUR SOCIETY HAS PLACED IN OUR HANDS A SACRED
TRUST – EVERY DAY WHEN WE PIN OUR BADGE ON OUR CHEST AND GO OUT INTO
THE STREETS OF OUR CITY, WE ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD
AGAINST EVIL – TO MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF EVERYONE
WHO LIVES, WORKS OR VISITS OUR COMMUNITIES. WE GET TO PROTECT AND TO
SERVE. RANDY SIMMONS, LOS ANGELES POLICE OFFICER, BADGE 8579, FOR 27
YEARS, WAS THE LIVING EMBODIMENT OF THAT MOTTO. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT
WHEN HE BEGAN HIS POLICING CAREER ON ELYSIAN FIELD THOSE MANY YEARS AGO
THAT HE HAD BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. TO MAKE
HIS LIFE AS A COP COUNT FOR SOMETHING – AND HE HAS SUCCEEDED, FAR
BEYOND EVEN HIS OWN DREAMS AND EXPECTATIONS – THE THOUSANDS OF YOU
GATHERED HERE TODAY ARE THE LIVING PROOF AND RECOGNITION OF THAT
SUCCESS.
RANDY, IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE OF HIS ASSIGNMENT TO THE FABLED LAPD SWAT
UNIT, UNDERSTOOD THE SPECIAL OBLIGATION AND LIFE-THREATENING RISKS THAT
ARE REQUIRED AT ANY MOMENT OF ANY POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER—TO RUN
TOWARD DANGER, NEVER FROM IT, EVEN AS WE MOVE THE WEAK, THE IMPAIRED
AND THE INNOCENT AWAY FROM THAT DANGER.
DURING HIS CAREER WITH HIS BELOVED SWAT, HE WENT TOWARD THOSE DANGERS,
THROUGH THOSE DOORS INTO THE UNKNOWN THAT AWAITED HIM AND HIS FELLOW
OFFICERS, HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF TIMES, BUT HE WOULD BE THE
FIRST TO TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE OF HIS DEEP RELIGIOUS FAITH AND
CONVICTIONS, AND HIS CONTINUAL THRIVING TO BE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF
GRACE WITH HIS GOD, HE WENT THROUGH THOSE DOORS, INTO THE VALLEY OF
DEATH, FEARING NO EVIL FOR HE KNEW THAT HIS GOD WAS WITH HIM AND IF IT
WAS TO BE HIS TIME, THEN TO LIE BESIDE THE STILL WATERS IN THE HEAVEN
THAT HE SO DEEPLY BELIEVED IN. HE WOULD BE READY TO STAND PROUDLY AT
THE DOORS TO HEAVEN, KNOWING, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHAT LAY BEYOND THOSE
DOORS. AS HIS LOVING WIFE LISA TOLD ME – HE WOULD BE IN A PLACE WHERE
THERE WAS NO PAIN AND WHERE THE STREETS WOULD BE PAVED WITH GOLD. HE
HAS TRULY GONE HOME. HIS LIFE’S JOURNEY AS A HUSBAND, FATHER,
HUMANITARIAN, MINISTER AND COP, AT AN END. HE IS IN THE PLACE HE WAS
ALWAYS MEANT TO BE AND HE WILL WAIT FOR US THERE TO MEET HIM AGAIN.
AND IF THERE IS ANY DELAY IN OPENING THOSE DOORS, HE CAN ALWAYS EMPLOY
THE BATTERING RAM THAT HE WAS SO SKILLED AT USING IN SWAT.
TO THE SWAT OFFICERS WHO WERE IN THE THICK WITH HIM IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH,
DAVE KEORGTE
TOM CHINAPPI
JIM VEENSTRA
GERMAN HURTADO
FLOYD CURRY
TONY SAMUELSON
MIKE BARKER
MICHAEL ODLE
GEORGE RYAN
STEVE SCALLON
CHUCK BUTTITTA
AND TO THE MANY OTHER MEMBERS OF SWAT WHO HE LOVED AND WHO LOVED AND RESPECTED HIM, CONSOLE YOURSELF THAT “THE ROCK” SPENT HIS LAST MOMENTS IN THE COMPANY OF YOU, HIS POLICE
FAMILY. HE UNDERSTOOD AND APPRECIATED YOUR DESPERATE EFFORTS TO SAVE
HIM AND KEEP HIM WITH US, BUT THIS TIME THE PULL OF HIS GOD TO BRING
HIM HOME WAS JUST TOO COMPELLING.
TO HIS WIFE LISA, HIS SON MATTHEW, HIS DAUGHTER GABRIELLE, AND HIS
MOTHER CONSTANCE, AS WELL AS TO ALL HIS FAMILY MEMBERS, ON BEHALF OF
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE LAPD WHO I PROUDLY SPEAK FOR THIS MORNING,
THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR SHARING HIM WITH US, ALL THOSE COUNTLESS DAYS
AND NIGHTS WHEN HE WAS AWAY FROM YOU. LISA, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR
“ULTIMATE” MAN WITH US. MATTHEW AND GABRIELLE, TRY HARD TO ALWAYS
HONOR YOUR FATHER’S MEMORY.
AND TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HE PROTECTED AND SERVED, IT IS SAID “NO MAN STANDS SO TALL AS WHEN HE STOOPS TO HELP A CHILD.”
WELL, IF THAT’S THE CASE, THEN RANDY WAS TRULY A GIANT. HIS LOVE FOR
CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, HIS “GLORY KIDS” KNEW NO
BOUNDS. AS LISA TOLD MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA AND ME, “NO MAN EVER BROUGHT
SO MANY CHILDREN TO GOD.” THAT WAS HIS TRUE PASSION IN LIFE.
SWAT COMMANDER MIKE ALBANESE TOLD ME THIS LITTLE STORY THAT I THINK SAYS IT ALL.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
RANDY’S COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY WAS UNMATCHED. HE
WAS CONSTANTLY WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE THOSE
PEOPLE WHO WERE TRULY DISADVANTAGED. HE WAS UNSELFISH WITH HIS TIME
AND HIS MONEY. HE USED HIS PERSONAL TIME (DAYS OFF – OVERTIME DAYS) TO
TRY TO IMPROVE MANY LIVES WITH HIS PRESENCE. THIS WAS A MAN WHO WORKED
IN CHALLENGING AREAS TO REACH OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS HE COULD. HE
IMPACTED SO MANY LIVES. TRIPS TO THE MOVIES, BEACH, PARKS, SKATE
PARKS, AND ZOO. ALL OF THE PLACES A YOUNG PERSON WOULD WANT TO VISIT.
RANDY KNEW THAT MANY OF THESE KIDS WOULD NEVER SEE/EXPERIENCE THESE
PLACES IF HE OR SOMEONE ELSE DID NOT TAKE THE LEAD.
HE WORKED QUIETLY DURING HIS OUTREACH WITH THE COMMUNITY. SOME OF HIS
PEERS DID NOT REALIZE THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF HIS WORK IN THE
COMMUNITY. ONE EXAMPLE WAS WHEN HE ASKED ONE OF OUR SWAT OFFICERS IF
HE WOULD CONSIDER LETTING SOME OF THE KIDS COME OUT TO HIS HORSE RANCH
AND RIDE HIS HORSES. METRO OFFICERS STEVE AND MARY GRACE WEAVER
WELCOMED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR TIME AND HORSES WITH THE KIDS
- A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE. RANDY WAS A LITTLE VAGUE AS TO HOW
MANY KIDS HE WAS BRINGING OUT TO THEIR HOME. AS MARY GRACE WEAVER
DESCRIBES IT, A LARGE CHARTERED BUS SHOWS UP AT THE HOUSE WITH OVER
SIXTY KIDS ON THE BUS. NONE OF THESE KIDS HAD EVER BEEN AROUND HORSES
AND THROUGH RANDY’S PERSISTENCE – STEVE AND MARY’S HOSPITALITY, OVER
SIXTY KIDS RODE HORSES AND ENJOYED A BARBEQUE.
IN CLOSING, LET ME READ TO YOU THE FOLLOWING PRAYER I THINK RANDY WOULD HAVE LIKED.
TO THOSE I LOVE AND THOSE WHO LOVE ME
WHEN I AM GONE RELEASE ME. LET ME GO – I HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO SEE
AND DO. YOU MUST NOT TIE YOURSELF TO ME WITH TEARS. BE THANKFUL FOR
OUR MANY BEAUTIFUL YEARS. I GAVE TO YOU MY LOVE. YOU CAN ONLY GUESS
HOW MUCH YOU GAVE TO ME IN HAPPINESS. I THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE WE
EACH HAVE SHOWN BUT NOW IT’S TIME I TRAVELED ON ALONE. SO GRIEVE A
WHILE FOR ME, IF GRIEVE YOU MUST. THEN LET YOUR GRIEF BE COMFORTED BY
TRUST. IT’S ONLY FOR A TIME THAT WE MUST PART SO BLESS THE MEMORIES
WITHIN YOUR HEART. I WON’T BE FAR AWAY, FOR LIFE GOES ON. SO IF YOU
NEED ME, CALL AND I WILL COME. THOUGH YOU CAN’T SEE OR TOUCH ME, I’LL
BE NEAR. AND IF YOU LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART, YOU’LL HEAR ALL MY LOVE
AROUND YOU SOFT AND CLEAR.
AND THEN WHEN YOU MUST COME THIS WAY ALONE, I’LL GREET YOU WITH A SMILE, AND SAY…WELCOME HOME!
Recent Comments