Mourners Pay Respects To Slain Baltimore Police Officer Keona Holley
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Loved ones and colleagues paid their respects Tuesday to Keona Holley, the Baltimore police officer who died last month after she was shot in the line of duty.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Baltimore Convention Center for a service to mourn the loss of Officer Holley and remember a life that was cut tragically short.
Holley, a 39-year-old mother of four, was laid to rest Tuesday afternoon at King Memorial Park.
In a statement, Holley's family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support in their time of grief from the police department and the entire community.
"While her fellow officers are hurting, they never left our side since the incident on December 16, 2021, and they are still with us today," the family's statement said in part.
Officer Keona Holley is the first female officer to be shot and killed in the line of duty in Baltimore City - per deparment officials.
— Avajoye Burnett (@AvajoyeWJZ) January 11, 2022
She leaves behind 4 children, many family members, friends and her brothers and sisters in law enforcement. @wjz pic.twitter.com/rHCONt4yMY
Gov. Larry Hogan, Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison and Lt. Curtis Worthy were among those who spoke at Tuesday's service.
Holley, a two-year veteran of the police department, was working a voluntary overtime shift about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 16 when she was shot in Baltimore's Curtis Bay neighborhood.
She was rushed to Shock Trauma, where she remained in the intensive care unit until she was removed from life support one week later.
Two men arrested a day after the shooting remain in custody while awaiting trial.
Hundreds of officers are here today to honor their fallen colleague, Officer Keona Holley. @wjz pic.twitter.com/iHcrB65loU
— Avajoye Burnett (@AvajoyeWJZ) January 11, 2022
Even though she was relatively new to the force, those who came to know Holley said it didn't take her long to make an impression on the community she served.
"When you lose someone like that, it's just, it's a loss for the city because you can't replace that type of person," Jamie Larounis said. "They are irreplaceable."
Police officers from up and down the East Coast filed into the convention center on Tuesday to honor a public servant who made the ultimate sacrifice. Outside, citizens stood vigil in the cold, including one man who said his daughter is also an officer.
"She remind me of my daughter," the man told WJZ. "I just really can't let that sink into me, that she's gone."
Holley is survived by her husband and four children, among many other loved ones.
A product of Baltimore City Public Schools, Holley graduated from Edmondson Westside High School. Afterward, she studied at Catonsville Community College, where she completed her CNA and GNA nursing certifications.
After working for several years at state hospitals, she decided to pursue her dream of joining the Baltimore Police Department. She was on the force for just two years before her life was taken.
"God has called his angel Kee Kee home, but we stand committed to Kee Kee's dream of building a safer and stronger community for all the residents, children and mothers of Baltimore," her family said.