Slain Dallas Officer’s Michigan Funeral Draws Hundreds

REDFORD TOWNSHIP, MI — Michael Krol, whose dream to become a police officer took him to the streets of Dallas, where he was killed earlier this month by a sniper’s bullet, was given a hero’s farewell Tuesday.

Bagpipes played as police officers carried Krol’s flag-draped coffin into St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, local residents lined the streets to show their support for police officers, and the Livonia Fire Department hoisted a huge American flag over West Chicago Road, which was lined with police cars, according to media reports.

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Krol was patrolling an until-then peaceful Black Lives Matter rally on July 7 when Micah Xavier Johnson, 27, of Mesquite, Texas, opened fire. Krol and four others died, and seven more police officers were injured in the killing spree. Ten days later, three more police officers were killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The funeral procession was more than 2 miles long, according to reports.

“It’s almost like he’s a hero because he died doing what he loved to do and what was in his heart, which was to help and protect others,” Knox said. “So that’s what makes today kind of a celebration.”

“It's quite a show of support with the tragedy unfolding,” Calley said. “It's important more than ever we stand with all our law enforcement. ...We need to take advantage of every opportunity to thank these people, which is why I'm here today. We want to stand with them and be there to show support for the family and show support to the officer and say, ‘I'm with you.’ ”

Redford Township resident Nicole Gregory stood outside with her young sons, Gavin and Grant, to watch the procession. “We wanted to let them know that not all people are full of hate,” Gregory told Hometownlife. “I’m trying to show the boys that there is evil in the world, but also compassion at the same time.”

Krol had been a deputy assigned to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office jail staff from 2002-2007, then moved to Dallas to attend the Dallas Police Academy. He graduated in 2008 and went to work for the Dallas Police Department.

According to his obituary, he was “a big guy with a big heart.” His family called him their “gentle giant.”

Survivors include his mother, Susan Ehlke; his father, Frank Joseph Krol Jr.; two sisters, Heather (Brett) Stacey and Amie (Brian) Schoenbaechler; and a brother, Joe (Alexandria) Krol.

A large number of Dallas police officers also drove from Texas to Michigan to attend Krol’s funeral.

Services for Krol were also held in Plano, Texas, on July 15, and a GoFundMe page has been established to help offset costs. Southwest Airline donated an airliner to carry Dallas officers and family members to Michigan for Krol’s funeral.