LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A grieving community is coming together to honor a fallen Lakewood agent, as a procession and memorial service prepare to pay tribute to 33-year-old Nicholas Graham, who was killed in the line of duty last week.
A procession and memorial service will be held Thursday morning honor the agent.
Watch how Colorado communities are coming together to honor the fallen agen in the video below:
RTD Transit Police Chief Steve Martingano said his department will be there, standing alongside other law enforcement officers.
"Additionally, RTDPD will be providing our honor guard for Agent Graham's memorial service," Martingano said.
For community member Amber Martinez, the loss has hit hard — not only because of Graham's dedication, but because of the young family he leaves behind.
"People are not only devastated with how young he is and how dedicated he was. He has a 1-year-old baby, a wife, so they're not only sad but they're also angry and trying to figure out how to cope with that," Martinez said.
Graham was killed on Nov. 5 while chasing a suspect wanted in an earlier hit-and-run. The suspect had ran onto an RTD bus at Colfax and Wadsworth when the shooting occurred.
Investigators said the suspect opened fire and agents fired back, killing the man. Agent Graham was also killed.
Martinez watched the night unfold close to home. She was on her way to pick up her daughter from Lakewood High School when she ran into road closures.
"They had West 6th Avenue blocked off. They had 10th Avenue blocked off. I couldn't get to her," Martinez said.
As the community mourns, many are still searching for answers. Martingano stressed that the investigation continues.
"I also want to emphasize that the suspect's death does not mean the investigation is over. Important questions still remain and we're committed to supporting the investigative process," Martingano said.
Among those questions is why the suspect — who was arrested by Broomfield police just weeks before this shooting — was let out of detention.
WATCH | Suspect in deadly shooting on RTD bus has lengthy criminal history:
"I know there's a lot of frustration in the community about what's being done with our justice system and why this person even had the opportunity to be out," Martinez said.
Denver7 asked the Colorado Department of Corrections this question. In a statement, they said the suspect was being held on a parole warrant, but parole officials said he met the requirements to be released. The department said he was required to, and did, meet with a parole officer multiple times following that release.
Denver7 will be at Agent Graham's memorial service on Thursday morning and will bring you updates on Denver7's streaming apps as well as online.
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