Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le remembered at emotional vigil
Friends, coworkers and community members came together Friday morning at a solemn vigil honoring the memory of Tuan Le, the Oakland police officer killed in the line of duty one week ago.
A Buddhist master conducted the ceremony to help Officer Le transition to his next life. Organizers say he comes from a Buddhist family that believes in the afterlife.
Officer Le was fatally shot in the early morning hours of Dec. 29, one week ago.
"We're sending our love and appreciation to Officer Le, but also to his family," said President of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce and vigil organizer Carl Chan
Community members and elected leaders packed the room. Among those in attendance was high-school friend of Le, Yvan Fung.
"Our community lost such a wonderful person. I still feel like it is very unreal and untrue to me," said Fung, who was having difficulty processing Le's death.
Back when they were in high school, Fung and Officer Le were members of a youth program based in Oakland's Chinatown called Asian Youth Services Committee. They volunteered at various events to gain leadership and social skills to prepare for college.
"In [the Asian Youth Services Committee program], he was more like an older brother to me," remembered Fung.
Yvan says he copes with the grief by remembering Officer Le's big smile.
"He's like a big teddy bear. He's always smiling," said Fung. "I have not ever seen him got mad, even in really difficult situations. He's always very supportive. He's very nice."
The public vigil allowed people to mourn the loss and thank Le for his years of service to the community, even before he became a police officer.
"Because of his understanding of the culture, but also his language ability, he was able to help many, many people," said Chan.
Fung hopes this will be a wake up call for elected leaders. He wants them to invest more in public safety.
"He signed up for the job to make people safer and more connected together," said Fung. "All of this could've been preventable. That's my personal opinion. But moving forward, it should be a good wake up call for everyone. Something must change."
Next Wednesday, the Oakland Police Department is holding their own memorial for Officer Le. It's scheduled for 10 a.m. at the 3 Crosses Church in Castro Valley and will be open to the public.