Mourners gather at Murrieta restaurant to mourn slain Riverside deputy
A community continued to mourn as they processed the death of Riverside deputy Darnell Calhoun, who was killed on Friday.
A photo of the fallen deputy shaking hands with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco rests in the center of the flowers and candles outside the Calhoun family restaurant in Murrieta.
"Coming here tonight to see the memorial is very emotional," said Sheriff Bianco.
He added that when he looked at Deputy Calhoun's memorial tonight, it was through a father's eyes.
"I'm looking at it as, my daughter is that age with a baby and she's a deputy," Bianco said.
On Friday, Calhoun responded to a domestic violence complaint in Lake Elsinore. While the suspect had not committed a crime and wouldn't have been arrested, he suddenly opened fire at Calhoun. The unexpected shooting wreaked emotional havoc on many deputies, according to Bianco.
"We all are going through these emotions, that it could be us," said Bianco. "There's a lot of grieving. There's a lot of second-guessing, wondering, 'could we do something different? Should we do something different?' I think the answer is no."
People from all over Riverside County stopped by all night to write messages of support for the Calhoun family. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Tuesday night. It will be at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station where Calhoun worked.
"While we are heartbroken, we also celebrate the gift of Darnell," Calhoun's family said in a statement. "His life, his commitment and dedication to his family and his community will remain an inspiration. He was genuine, kind, loyal and had the heart of a servant. We take great comfort in knowing that Darnell led a life well lived."
Bianco said that criminals are encouraged to fight the police.
"That criminal population is being emboldened," said Bianco. "They're being almost encouraged to fight with the police."
Sheriff Bianco said if people don't want to lose other deputies like Calhoun, our society has to change its current narrative about the role law enforcement plays in our lives.
"It's just being pushed into us and onto us that the cops are bad and it's got to stop," he said. "It's got to stop from our lawmakers. It's got to stop from our governor. It's got to stop from our president. It has to stop."
Another vigil is scheduled for Wednesday night at Murrieta's Town Square Amphitheater.
