Hundreds gather for candlelight vigil to honor fallen Dallas police Officer Darron Burks
Dallas – Hundreds of supporters gathered Wednesday at Paul Quinn College for a candlelight vigil in honor of fallen Dallas police Officer Darron Burks.
Burks was killed in the line of duty last Thursday. Since then, there's been an overwhelming show of love and support from the community to honor his legacy and recognize his contributions to the community.
"He was a man whose life exemplified our institutional ethos of we over Me," said a Paul Quinn representative. "He made a conscious decision to live a life of service and sacrifice. The fact that his death has been met with a national outpouring of love and sorrow speaks to this fact."
In the brief address to attendees Wednesday evening, President Michael Sorrell told a crowd of heavy hearts that Burks, a 2007 alum of the historically Black institution, was the very best of what the college had to offer.
"This has hit our community exceptionally hard. Brother Burks was someone who was the salt of the earth. He never had a bad word to say about anybody. He would give you the shirt off his back. He was a man who understood the essence of service," said Sorrell.
Burks grew up in Dallas and graduated from Lake Highlands High School before pursuing a mathematics degree from Paul Quinn. While attending the college, he was initiated into the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Edward Knox told CBS News Texas he first met Burks at an interest meeting for the organization.
"He took me under his wing and showed me what Omega was about," said Knox. "The principles of being an Omega and being a Christian as well, he just always prayed with me."
Over the years, Knox said the two remained close while attending church at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and recounted Burks's decision to become a Dallas police officer after years of teaching mathematics at Texas Can Academy in Dallas.
"He said God had a calling for him," Knox continued. "I said, 'What do you mean', [and] he said, 'God is calling me to do something else than teach, so I said you have to follow God's word.'"
Burks was sitting in his squad car, in between calls, when a suspect shot and killed him last Thursday.
"It is very emotional because when I turn around, I'm expecting to see him and not seeing him, reality sets in," added Knox, while saying the candlelight vigil was just one way the community can honor Burks' life and legacy. "I'll always have him in my heart."
A visitation followed by a celebration of life service will take place Saturday morning at Watermark Church.