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Houston Police Department Senior Officer William "Bill" Jeffrey was honored at his funeral on Sept. 27 following a fatal shooting in the line of duty earlier this month.
On Sept. 20, Jeffrey was gunned down by 30-year-old Deon Ledet while serving an arrest warrant in the 5300 block of Aeropark. Ledet proceeded to open fire on Jeffrey and his partner, Sergeant Michael Vance, who was injured and hospitalized, according to Houston Daily. Ledet himself was fatally shot following the incident.
"All of us come together to say, 'Bill, thank you for giving yourself to this city.' And to this family, we lift you up, and may God guide you every single day," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner during the funeral, according to KHOU 11.
Memorial services for Jeffrey were held at Grace Church, where city officials including Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner and Mayor Turner attended to pay tribute to the 30-year law enforcement veteran, according to ABC 13.
Jeffrey's daughter, Lacie Jeffrey spoke lovingly of her father during the funeral, stating that he was more than an officer. Detective Paul Lowery who knew Officer Jeffrey for more than 40 years, considered him one of his closest friends.
“We were really a weird pair. I don’t know if he enjoyed being the center of attention or he just was the center of attention. Everywhere he walked in he took over the room with that big smile,” Lowery said, according to KHOU 11.
In the wake of Jeffrey's passing, Doug Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, has demanded that a Harris County judge step down, claiming that Judge Greg Glass of the 208th District Court lowered a pair of bonds for Ledet set by Magistrate Lionel Castro that were supposed to be declined, according to Houston Daily.
“He needs to have the integrity to step down. Until he decides to step up and explain himself, we will continue to come after him. I will actively search for people who will run against him,” the HPOU head said in a statement.