Reedley remembers two fallen officers 14 years after Minkler shootout

Chief Garza says the lawsuit is astir the fallen heroes' families and shows them the assemblage volition ne'er hide their loved ones.

REEDLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A somber ceremonial was held successful Reedley 14 years aft 2 Valley bid officers were killed successful the enactment of duty.

Gone but not forgotten. That was the connection Monday greeting arsenic dozens of assemblage members gathered to retrieve fallen serviceman Javier Bejar.

"Javier was an awesome individual," Reedley Police Department Chief Joe Garza said. "He came to america arsenic an Explorer. He was successful my archetypal Explorer academy."

After that precocious schoolhouse Explorer program, Bejar served overseas successful the Marine Corps. As a combat veteran, helium returned to Reedley to service his community.

That tendency to assistance others led the 28-year-old Bejar to the tiny assemblage of Minkler connected February 25, 2010.

That is wherever Fresno County Sheriff's Deputy Joel Wahlenmaier was serving a hunt warrant erstwhile the fishy opened fire.

Bejar was the archetypal to respond to Wahlenmaier's serviceman down telephone erstwhile helium was changeable by the aforesaid suspect.

"Officer Javier Bejar and Fresno County Deputy Sheriff Joel Wahlenmaier mislaid their lives," Chief Garza said. "Their bravery and dedication to work led them to marque the eventual sacrifice, a indebtedness we tin ne'er afloat repay."

At the Reedley Police Department, the American emblem is present flying astatine half-staff. It does astatine the extremity of each February, adjacent now, 14 years later.

Chief Garza tells Action News the yearly lawsuit is astir the fallen heroes' families and shows them the assemblage volition ne'er hide their loved ones.

On Monday, Bejar's sister, Daisy, remembered her brother.

As earthy arsenic the emotion inactive is, Daisy says it is simply a clip to observe Javier's beingness and cherish clip with 1 another.

"For the Bejar family, February 25th has go a time to get together, to stitchery and retrieve and grant Javier's memory," she said. "To observe his beingness and to bask mom's delicious nutrient conscionable arsenic Javier did."

The household besides coordinated a humor thrust to grant Bejar.

Chief Garza says it is an accidental to springiness backmost successful Bejar's name.

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