I just returned from standing on the North balcony of the state Capitol to watch the funeral procession for the slain Denver police detective Donald Young. It took over 50 minutes for the entire procession to pass. Several hundred police, sheriff, paramedic, and fire vehicles passed one after another after another.
I didn’t know detective Young at all. However, my father-in-law is a police officer in Georgia, and I was somehow compelled to pay my respects to the family and the men and women in blue by at least paying attention to them as they drove by to lay to rest one of their fallen.
It’s my understanding that Donald Young liked to ride motorcycles. One of the most poignant moments came at the very end of the procession when about 8 bikers (not police, just honest to god bikers) who had been watching the procession below started up their thundering engines and peeled into the street to bring up the rear. A fitting tribute if ever there was any.