Fellow K-9 Officers, Partners Set To Pay Final Respects To Rocco
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The funeral is set for Friday for Pittsburgh Police K-9 Officer Rocco.
Police officers from as far away as West Virginia and Virginia may travel here to attend.
It begins at 11 a.m. at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland.
Rocco was stabbed as police tried to arrest a suspect in Lawrenceville.
K-9 officers and their partners will line the steps as Rocco's remains are brought inside the building.
"The bond between police brother and sisterhood is very strong, and when you put those two factors together, we can have up to a thousand people," said police spokesperson Diane Richard. "It's just too hard to tell how many people will come."
The hall holds 2,300 people, but Richard urges members of the public to arrive early if they wish to attend. She says members of the law enforcement community will have priority seating.
Cameras will not be allowed inside at the wish of Rocco's police partner, Officer Phil Lerza and his family.
Several roads will close beforehand to allow for a procession from the Pittsburgh Police Canine Academy on Washington Boulevard to Soldiers and Sailors in Oakland. It will begin at 10 a.m.
Bigelow Boulevard near the hall will also be closed during the funeral.
Additionally, the Port Authority tweeted Friday to expect transit delays in Oakland during the funeral:
Oakland routes to see delays, detours during K9 Officer Rocco's memorial service today, thru approx 2 pm. Read more: http://t.co/WUnEM5bDlG
— Port Authority PGH (@PGHtransit) February 7, 2014
Also, there will be rolling closures beginning at 10 a.m. on Washington Boulevard between Allegheny River to Frankstown Avenue; cross Frankstown to Fifth Avenue and Fifth Avenue into Oakland up to Bouquet Street.
RELATED LINKS:
Outpouring Of Support Helping K-9 Officer's Partner Through Loss (1/31/14)
More Reports on Rocco
More Reports by David Highfield
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