Sgt. Swartz's Family Releases Statement To Community Following Funeral

The family of Sergeant Bobby Swartz has released a statement to the community in response to the funeral that happened Friday for the fallen deputy.

Related: Sgt. Swartz Remembered By Loved Ones, Friends At Funeral

“This week has been the hardest week of our lives. My dad’s service turned out beautiful yesterday. The amount of love and support around the world has been overwhelming and amazing. My wife Kim and I would like to thank everyone. The love and compassion we have been shown is something we have never seen before. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank every single person who took time out of their day on Friday to attend my dad’s funeral and watch the live stream, every person who stopped on the highway out of respect, all of the meals that have been delivered to us and the support from our neighbors. We want everyone to know we saw every single one of you. We saw all of the signs, posters, flags, people waving, people on bridges and over passes, salutes, every heart and every blown kiss. We saw every tear from you, your painted cars, every person who stepped out of work to watch us drive by and show your love and respect. We saw every person who lined the streets and stepped out of your car for us and those that had chairs on the side of the road to wait in the sun just to show your support. We have read every card and appreciate the outpouring more than we can ever express. My dad touched thousands of hearts and he would be so proud of his community for the love and support they have shown. It was his joy to serve his community. Although we have seen evil, we have also witnessed the power of love. As we grieve, we choose to focus on the amazing legacy of my dad and the outpouring of love and support from our community. When we tell our kids about Papa Policeman, we will also remind them of the light that can be found in the darkness. Again, we thank you for surrounding us and reminding us to hold on to hope. With love and gratitude, The Swartz Family.”

Sgt. Swartz was shot and killed, along with another officer who sustained serious injuries, before the suspect led officers on a high-speed chase across the metro until ultimately being stopped and arrested.