DALLAS — Tributes and memorials continue Sunday for fallen Dallas police officer Darron Burks.
Burks, 46, was shot and killed while on duty in the parking lot outside the For Oak Cliff Community Center Thursday night. Two other officers with the department’s South Central Patrol Division were injured.
Sunday morning, officers escorted Burks from the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office to Restland Funeral Home in the 13000 block of Greenville Avenue, with law enforcement, including Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia, gathering outside the funeral home.
Also Sunday morning, Pastor Bobby Gibson of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship where Burks attended paid tribute to Burks during the service.
“He was an amazing man at our church. He was truly a Kingdom man,” Gibson said. “Just because of his heart, we want to pray for his family, for his mother, and for our church because he served in the parking lot ministry so it really touched home for us.”
Rev. Johnathan Evans also led the church in prayer for Burks’ family.
Charles Johnson, who helps direct traffic at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship as Burks did, remembered Burks as “family.”
“Darron was family. We consider ourselves a family, and when he first came to our ministry, he was still in education, he was a teacher and a coach. When he told me that he was interested in being a police officer, I was happy for him and he regularly updated me on his progression through the academy, through field training,” Johnson said. “Everybody who knew him feels this loss deeply. He had us, his church family, his family of origin, his fraternity brothers, his colleagues in education, and his brothers and sisters in blue. It’s an incredible loss we’ll feel forever.”
Charles James, who leads the parking ministry at the church, likewise remembered Burks as like “family.”
“We’re a family,” James said. “When I got the word the other day I was out walking and it just blew me away…it just took all the wind out of my sails, because you can’t meet a nicer guy than Darron.”
Mourners have left flowers, candles and other mementos at a police squad car outside memorial the police department’s South Central station, where he worked.
Burks’ fellow officers, family, friends and community members will gather again at the station at 1999 E. Camp Wisdom Road at 4:04 p.m. today with flowers, balloons, photos and other mementos to continue to memorialize the fallen officer.
Burks studied at Paul Quinn College and went on to become a teacher. He worked closely with kids at the Texans Can Academy before he decided to start his career as a police officer.
Burks’ Omega Psi Phi fraternity brothers had previously organized a candlelight vigil for Burks on Friday.
The Eagle Gun Range in Lewisville is holding a fundraiser to raise money in honor of Officer Burks. It lasts through Monday, Sept 30 and all proceeds will be given to the Burks family.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, Sept. 7 at Watermark Church in Dallas.