Crime & Safety
Procession For San Jose Police Officer Leads To Los Gatos
A police officer killed in a collision while on duty Tuesday was escorted by a motorcade from San Jose to a Los Gatos funeral home Thursday.
SAN JOSE - A police officer killed in a collision while on duty Tuesday was escorted by a motorcade from San Jose to a Los Gatos funeral home Thursday afternoon.
Officer Michael Katherman, 34, was struck by a silver minivan while on patrol Tuesday afternoon on North 10th Street and succumbed to his injuries at a hospital a short time later, police said.
Katherman was in a casket draped with the American flag carried by a handful of officers, who placed him into a hearse from the Santa ClaraCounty medical examiner's office in San Jose just before 1 p.m.
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Fifteen police motorcycles led the procession that also included numerous police cars along a route that went down South Bascom Avenue and East Hamilton Avenue in Campbell before continuing south on state Highway 17.
Along the way, many fire trucks and police vehicles blocked traffic as personnel saluted the passing motorcade.
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The roughly 20-minute procession ended at the Darling & Fischer Chapel of the Hills funeral home in Los Gatos.
Katherman's funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday at SAP Center in downtown San Jose.
He had been on a department motorcycle while heading up North 10th Street, where he was hit by a southbound minivan that was making a left turn at Horning Street, police said.
The minivan driver stayed at the scene, cooperated with investigators and wasn't arrested, according to police.
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A growing memorial outside police headquarters is filled with flowers, notes, candles and a white department motorcycle in tribute to the fallen officer.
Katherman, who is survived by his wife and two children, served with the Police Department for 11 years.
The San Jose Police Officers'Association has organized a fund benefiting Katherman's family.
Donations can be made online at http://www.sjpoa.com/Donations... or by mail to 1151 N. Fourth St., San Jose, CA 95112.
Anyone with information on the collision is asked to call police Detective Kelvin Pham at (408) 277-4654.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-7867.
-Bay City News, image via Campbell police