Hundreds remember Seattle Police Officer Lexi Harris

SEATTLE - Hundreds of people showed up to T-Mobile Park on Thursday to honor Seattle Police Officer Lexi Harris, including people who personally did not know her.  

Some held signs of appreciation and many more held back tears. They may not have known the officer but they say her actions prove that Harris was the epitome of a heroic police officer. 

"I wanted to bring my 5-year-old granddaughter and show her respect, even though we may not know her, she was a big part of our community and kept many safe," Seattle resident Karen Woloshin said.

Woloshin wonders how many countless people Officer Harris helped over the years on the force before the incident on June 13 that took her life. Harris stopped on I-5 to assist in a multi-car crash while she was off duty. The 38-year-old was tragically struck by another driver.

"They are always an officer off the clock or not, Lexi showed that," Becca Leslie said.

Leslie and two others who showed up with a thank you sign called the procession a collective healing.

"That’s important for everyone to lean on each other," Leslie said.

Leslie also says after the memorial she wants family members to know that the community will not forget Harris or her sacrifice.

As the procession arrived at T-Mobile Park, two Seattle Police officers carried a bike belonging to Harris. 

Harris was in the bike unit for some time during the 5 years she worked at the Seattle Police Department.

The men and women who worked with her in that unit rode behind her bike during the procession. They were joined by a huge group of bike cops, not just from SPD, but other jurisdictions.

As the fallen officer’s casket arrived, people wiped away tears saying the procession took their breath away.

"Reflecting on our time together, what a wonderful person she was, she was a certainly a force to be reckoned with," friend Shandra Prentice said.

That inner and outer strength is something Harris was known for. Shandra Prentice and her sister have known Harris since they were teens. They say Lexi was compassionate and loving.

Inside the memorial, the officer’s fiance called her Seattle’s Wonder woman. He says Harris loved her hometown of Seattle and felt a calling to serve and protect the city she loved. 

The fiancé says at 3 a.m., he’s often hit by the painful realization that the love of his life is gone because that’s when she would normally come back home from her shift at SPD.

The fiancé said he was grateful that the last thing he said to Harris was that he loved her and that he was proud of her. 

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