Update: Thousands Mourn Slain SDPD Officer

Updated at 1:02 p.m. Friday.

Thousands of mourners gathered at The Rock Church in Point Loma on Friday for the funeral for slain ex-Marine and San Diego police Officer Jeremy Henwood.

Henwood, 36, was shot in the head as he sat in his patrol car Saturday and died the following day. The man suspected of shooting him was shot and killed by police in a later confrontation.

Among those in attendance Friday to pay respects to Henwood were California Gov. Jerry Brown, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

"Just like when he fought for our nation, being a cop gave Jeremy pride, knowing he was doing something fundamental to our quality of life in the United States," Sanders said at the funeral. "Every day, when he put on his blue San Diego [police] uniform, Jeremy knew he was a cornerstone of civil society."

Henwood, a four-year SDPD officer, served repeat deployments to combat zones. Sanders said Henwood could have "done just about anything" after returning from his most recent combat deployment, but he chose law enforcement.

"He could have joined a private security or a military training firm," Sanders said of the officer with a degree in criminal justice. "He could have been a civil servant with a desk job. He could have gone into any number of less dangerous law enforcement jobs.

"But Jeremy chose to be a beat cop. He chose a job that everybody knows means you start your shift knowing in the back of your mind it might be your last."

Police Chief William Lansdowne described Henwood as a "special person" and said he was honored to have known him.

"We're sorry that we lost Jeremy, but don't be sad," the chief said. "Jeremy led a full life. Jeremy was excited about what he did. Jeremy made us all special. ... And Jeremy set a standard that's raised the bar for all of us."

A motorcade of hundreds of law enforcement vehicles from throughout the state preceded the funeral, traveling from Qualcomm Stadium to the Rosecrans Street church hosting the funeral.

An American flag that was raised over the ruins of the World Trade Center shortly after the 9/11 attacks and has been used at important funerals in the years since was flown to San Diego to be displayed alongside the fallen officer's casket.

Henwood was shot by 23-year-old Dejon Marquee White of San Diego on Saturday, Aug. 6, as he sat in his patrol car in City Heights, police said. Not long before, White had allegedly shot another man, apparently at random, outside an El Cajon fast food restaurant. This first victim survived despite critical head and face injuries.

About 10 minutes after the first shooting, White flashed his headlights while approaching Henwood's eastbound cruiser from behind on University Avenue near 45th Street. White is then said to have pulled up alongside the officer, fired a gun into the driver's side window and sped off.

A woman who saw the shooting used Henwood's police radio to report what happened. Medics took the officer to Scripps Mercy Hospital, where he succumbed to head wounds early Sunday morning.

About a half-hour after the attack, police found White's black Audi a few blocks away, near the suspect's apartment in the 4000 block of 48th Street. When White was confronted by officers, he allegedly grabbed his shotgun, prompting them to open fire, and he died at the scene.

White, who had a prior history of theft, reckless driving, resisting arrest and other minor crimes, had left behind a three-page suicide note at his home, but it included no mention of homicidal intentions and did not indicate a possible motive for the rampage, police said.

Henwood, a Texas native, had 15 years of military service behind him, including three tours of duty in the past eight years. He was a captain in the Marine Corps reserve and did two tours in Iraq and the most recently in Afghanistan, earning numerous awards and decorations.

The officer is survived by his parents, Beverly and Robbie; brother, Robbie Jr.; and sister, Emily, all of San Antonio, TX. Henwood's body was expected to be returned to Texas following Friday's service.

Henwood was the second San Diego police officer killed on the job within 10 months. In late October, Officer Christopher Wilson, 50, was shot to death during a probation raid at a Skyline-area apartment complex.

The department also lost two other officers recently.

In July, Detective Donna Williams, 52, and her teenage daughter were stabbed at their Rancho Peñasquitos home, allegedly by the officer's 24-year-old mentally ill son who now faces two murder charges.

On Aug. 1, SDPD motorcycle Officer David Christopher Hall, a 14-year department veteran, shot himself in his backyard. Hall had been awaiting trial on drunken driving and hit-and-run charges in connection with an off-duty collision in Serra Mesa.

The San Diego Police Officers Association has created a trust fund for the Henwood family. Contributions can be mailed to: Officer Jeremy Henwood Family Trust, c/o San Diego Police Officers Association, 8388 Vickers St., San Diego, CA 92111. Donors are asked to write "Officer Jeremy Henwood" in the memo line of their checks.

City News Service contributed to this report.