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CHOWCHILLA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The household and friends of the 36-year-old Chowchilla Police Officer who died successful a clang connected Friday accidental thing volition beryllium the aforesaid again.
Raymond Barrantes died portion connected patrol successful a collision disconnected Highway 152 and Road 13 successful Madera County.
Police Chief Jeff Palmer says Barrantes' decease is the archetypal decease of immoderate serviceman wrong the Chowchilla Police Department.
"This happening connected my ticker is horrible," Palmer said. "He was an astonishing guy."
Chief Palmer says helium knew Barrantes for years - and Barrantes himself brought years of acquisition and a lukewarm property that his peers admired.
"It ever went backmost to him talking astir his family, specifically his daughter, and playing softball and worldly similar that," Chief Palmer said. "He was a large mentor for our officers; that's what a batch of our younger officers speech about, however overmuch helium showed them. It's going to beryllium missed."
Chief Palmer says Barrantes had astir 2 decades of instrumentality enforcement acquisition from Sacramento, Mendota and Chowchilla.
While successful Chowchilla, Barrantes managed to profoundly immerse himself successful the tight-knit community, not lone astatine the Chowchilla Police Department but besides successful the greater Chowchilla community.
Joyce Costa and Christina Reeves unrecorded successful Chowchilla. Although neither of them had met Officer Barrantes, they are mourning his decease alongside each serviceman successful the constabulary department.
"It's truly hard to take. This being the archetypal decease of 1 of our officers," Costa said. "It's a nonaccomplishment for each of us. We're each progressive and it touches each of us."
Reeves says the 2 of them felt compelled to bring flowers to fto each Chowchilla Police officers cognize they are not alone, a motion Chief Palmer appreciates.
"The assemblage coming out, dropping disconnected the flowers and doing those things, I cognize that they're doing it for the family, but really, it means much to us," Palmer said. "It means erstwhile our officers spot that, they cognize radical care. We cognize they do, but it conscionable truly drives that home. So we're blessed."
Raymond Barrantes' older brother, Edson Barrantes, lives successful Arizona. He says the household grew up successful Dos Palos and being distant from location makes the nonaccomplishment peculiarly hard for him.
"I got the telephone telephone Friday nighttime from my small sister. She called to springiness maine the unspeakable news," Edson said.
Edson says being six years older than Raymond, helium felt similar helium helped rise him.
"I was much of a begetter figure," Edson said. "I coached him erstwhile helium played shot successful Little League and each that stuff."
Edson says thing could forestall the wounded that came with the nonaccomplishment of his small brother. But the thoughts, prayers, and information that the assemblage has shown him and his household person shown him conscionable however loved his member was.
"The magnitude of substance messages that I've gotten has been immense, has been amazing," Edson said. "I cognize they've done the aforesaid to my sister, my mom, and that that means truthful overmuch to me."
The Chowchilla Police Department volition clasp a candlelight vigil for the assemblage for Officer Barrantes connected Thursday, Oct. 9, astatine 8 p.m. successful beforehand of the Chowchilla Police station.
