MERCED, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Family members and fellow law enforcement officers gathered in Merced Monday morning to pay tribute to an officer who died 20 years ago in the line of duty.
A remembrance ceremony was held at the Merced Police Department, in honor of Officer Stephan Gray.
He was just 34 years old when he was shot and killed on April 15 back in 2004.
Gray was the first officer to be killed in the line of duty since the founding of the Merced Police Department in 1889.
Flags at the station are lowered to half-staff, and fellow officers are wearing mourning bands to pay tribute to Gray’s sacrifice for the safety of the community.
