Ligonier Police Lt. Eric Eslary Laid To Rest
LIGONIER (KDKA) -- Loved ones, colleagues and community members said goodbye to fallen police officer Lt. Eric Eslary today.
They packed Holy Trinity Catholic Church for his funeral service.
Officers remember Lt. Eslary:
Hundreds of people also showed up to pay their respects to Lt. Eslary during two days of visitation at the McCracken Funeral Chapel in Ligonier Township on Thursday and Friday.
"He was just a wonderful, loving, caring friend, officer, parent, neighbor. Just the most spectacular man," said Judy Ebbets, a family friend.
Eslary leaves behind a wife and six children. His fellow officers remembered how much he loved his family and spoke of them.
"Eric loved his life, he treated friends like family and that speaks for itself in how he was raised," said one friend and officer.
Officers say that love extended beyond just friends and family.
"Eric loved people and he loved to help people in his community," recalled Latrobe K-9 officer Bob Derk. "When I became the K-9 handler in Latrobe, Eric was there for me every day. He was instrumental in me getting the K-9 unit started in Latrobe. From that point on, if you've ever seen Eric at a K-9 demo or Eric at a presentation with his K-9, I was there with him. What I loved the most about Eric -- he had the best sense of humor, he could make you laugh no matter how down and out you were, he made you laugh."
Law enforcement from across the country converged on the tiny, historic town of Ligonier.
Hundreds of officers lined the streets and saluted along the procession route.
Eslary's K-9 partner, Blek, is continuing to recover after the crash.
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