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Today I attended the memorial service for fallen Eugene Police Department officer Chris Kilcullen, who was shot by a 56-year-old woman during a traffic stop April 22. It was a sad day for Eugene, for Oregon and for law enforcement personnel everywhere, but the memorial proved to be a fitting tribute to a man who would later be described as the nicest, most respectful person to ever give someone a speeding ticket.

The memorial started with a lengthy procession from Autzen Stadium to Matthew Knight Arena, which the University of Oregon had graciously donated for the service. The procession included more than 400 vehicles from more than 50 law enforcement agencies from around Oregon, as well as four federal agencies and 11 from outside the state of Oregon.

Inside the arena, a slideshow of photos of Chris Kilcullen was playing on the video board as music played. After a short wait, the service began with an announcement about the nature of the ceremony, explaining the honors and traditions that would be involved. This was a nice gesture and made me, as a civilian, feel more comfortable with the atmosphere.

Several people spoke, including a few of Kilcullen's colleagues at EPD. The anecdotes ranged from tear-inducing recollections from Chief Pete Kerns, to humorous and emotional memories from several fellow officers.

Fellow motorcycle cop, John Risko, shared many nicknames Chris had received over the years, including several off-color ones that elicited laughs from the crowd. Starting with $5 in quarters, he handed one to a fellow EPD officer every time he used profanity.

"If I offend any kids in the room, I apologize," he said. "If I offend any adults...tough shit," he added, before placing a shiny quarter in the palm of his colleague.

"When I was spot on with a derogatory comment - which was most of the time," he said, before giving up another quarter, "Chris would just smile and say, 'John, you dick.'"

Another officer, Scott Dillon, directed the final words of his speech to Kilcullen himself, a 1986 UO graduate and avid Duck fan.

"Chris, you put in a time off request for one of this year's football games," he said. "As far as I know, it got denied. You better show up."

The rest of the memorial included another slideshow set to music by Linkin Park and Rob Zombie, alluding to Kilcullen's energetic, active nature, followed by the ceremonial presentation of folded American flags not only to Kilcullen's wife, Kristie, but to his two daughters as well. Chris's father John spoke about the gentle nature of his son but also mentioned his mischievous side with an anecdote from when Chris decided to visit his younger sister, Colby, at her middle-school dance. The then-teenage Colby was "mortified" to see two uniformed officers show up at her school asking for her.

As a bit of "payback" for that night, as well as an illustration of Kilcullen's easygoing demeanor, Colby shared a video she had recently taken with her phone of her brother playing the Nintendo Wii game "Just Dance." Laughter filled the arena as Kilcullen's crazy cheerleader-like movements played on the video board.

After the traditional playing of "Taps" and "Amazing Grace," the silence of the arena was broken by the crackling of a female police dispatcher's voice, as if over a police scanner.

“Last call for One Mary 18,” the voice said, referring to Kilcullen in dispatcher code (motorcycle cops are known as "Mary Units.")

After receiving no response from the officer, she continued: “All units be advised. One Mary 18 is secure. He may be gone, but he is not forgotten. Rest in peace, Chris. Rest in peace.”

Overall, the day was filled with respect and dignity for one of Eugene's finest men in blue, as well as for the rest of those whose job it is to keep our communities safe every day.

Also, it's worth noting that in addition to the officers who came from all over the region to attend the memorial, several other nearby agencies, including Oregon State Police, Lane County Sheriff, Springfield Police, Cottage Grove Police and Florence Police, lent personnel to help cover EPD's jurisdiction during the service and ensure the local community remained safe throughout the day while allowing as many EPD officers as possible to attend the service.

RIP Officer Kilcullen. I may not have gotten the chance to meet you in person, but after today, I feel like I would have loved to know you.

Stuff Americans Like: Royal Weddings

The monograms kind of look like they spell "WIZ."

It's been interesting to see the obsession lately with the royal wedding. Especially because it seems that Americans are making a much bigger deal about it than the people who actually reside in the country where the wedding is taking place.
Maybe you don't plan to follow every second of the festivities, but don't want to be completely out of the loop when all the news feeds on Facebook/Twitter/whatever else blows up for six hours with news on every detail. And maybe, like me, you're a poor college student who decided to prioritize eating over paying for cable.

Luckily, there are not one, but TWO live streams (one from ABC, one from FOX) embedded here for your viewing pleasure.

Best wishes to the bride and groom on their special day!