Hundreds attend fundraiser at FOP Lodge 5 for fallen Philadelphia Police Officer Richard Mendez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hundreds made their way to FOP Lodge 5 Thursday night for a fundraiser to show their support for fallen Philadelphia Police Officer Richard Mendez, who was shot and killed in the line of duty.
The people who attended the fundraiser wanted to send a message that they would never forget Sgt. Mendez or his family.
"I mean it just sends a message to the family that everybody is here for them," John McNesby, the FOP Lodge 5, president, said.
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Mendez, who was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant, was shot and killed attempting to prevent four young men from stealing a car at Philadelphia International Airport on Oct.12.
Pedro Rosario, a captain in the city's east detective division, remembered his friend, fondly.
"Richard and I worked together in the 25th for a number of years," Rosario said. "We were friends, colleagues, we worked a lot of details. One of my fondest memories of Richie was when the Eagles won the Super Bowl, we were both assigned to downtown. Great family man, incredibly intelligent and very, very caring about his responsibilities as a father, as a police officer, and even more importantly as a friend."
CBS News Philadelphia also spoke to a retired Philadelphia police officer who felt it was his duty to attend the fundraiser for Sergeant Mendez's family.
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"We always support everybody," Joe Negler said. "Any family member that goes down, we're here to support him."
And that message of support was echoed continuously by those who attended the FOP Lodge to honor Mendez.
"When one of goes down, it takes a piece of everybody," McNesby said. "And we want them to know it's not a matter of if this happens again, it's a matter of when we lose another officer. And when that happens, we rally together and you just gained 7,000 additional family members.