Officer Reginald “Jake” Gutierrez was fatally shot on Wednesday while responding to a domestic violence incident in East Tacoma.
The family of slain Tacoma police Officer Reginald “Jake” Gutierrez has issued a statement thanking the city for its “outpouring of love.”
Gutierrez was killed Wednesday while responding to a domestic-violence incident in East Tacoma.
“We would like to personally thank the City of Tacoma for the outpouring of love that has been shown for my brother Officer Jake Gutierrez,” reads the statement by Antoinette Gutierrez of Nevada. “We are humbled by the amount of support he has received from the community and the love we have received from his family in blue. It is quite evident that he has had a tremendous impact on the community.
“Although we cannot turn back the clock, I hope everyone can find comfort in the fact that my brother loved his job — he ran towards danger while others ran away. He was my hero before this happened and will be a hero forever in this community. With a heavy heart my family would personally like to say thank you.”
Most Read Local Stories
Gutierrez also is survived by his three daughters and a granddaughter. The 48-year-old officer had been with Tacoma police since 1999.
A memorial service for Gutierrez will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Tacoma Dome and will be open to the public.
A funeral procession will precede the memorial service, beginning at about 10:30 a.m. at the north gate of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The procession will travel along South Tacoma Way to the Tacoma Dome.
The man who fatally shot Gutierrez, Bruce Randall Johnson II, was killed early Thursday after an 11-hour standoff with police.