Law enforcement officers from across the state converged on Friday at a memorial service for the first Laguna Beach officer to die in the line of duty in six decades.
A procession of motorcycle officers rode among a line of vehicles and a hearse carrying the body of Jon Coutchie to Mariner’s Church in Irvine.
Coutchie was killed Saturday in an accident while responding to a reckless driver call 30 minutes before his shift ended. He was 41. The motorcycle Coutchie was riding did not have lights and sirens on, officials said.
Colleagues paid their respects to a "committed cop" and former Army Ranger, who enlisted in the service after 9/11 and who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After leaving the military, he started working part-time as a jailer for the Laguna Beach Police Department before becoming a full-time motorcycle officer four years ago.
He is survived by his mother, father, brother, step-sister and girlfriend.
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Photo Credit: Vikki Vargas/NBCLA.com