Albuquerque remembers 'real-life Batman,' fallen Officer Daniel Webster
At the funeral for Officer Daniel Webster of Albuquerque, N.M., family and community leaders honored his service as a US Army Ranger and as a police officer, where he was shot in the line of duty.
Officer Dan Webster, shown in this undated photo provided by the Albuquerque, N.M., Police Department, was shot during a traffic stop on Oct. 21 and died early Thursday, Albuquerque police said.
Albuquerque Police Department/AP/File
Daniel Webster's family remembered a "goober" who "thought he was Batman," and the Albuquerque community honored a veteran of both the city police force and the US Army on Tuesday.
Webster, who served as a US Army Ranger for 20 years, was shot by a suspect who he stopped for riding a motorcycle with a stolen license plate, died from his wounds on Thursday, the Associated Press reported. He was a nine-year veteran of the police force and is survived by his wife and three adult children, KOB News reported.
"Dan thought he was Batman, and in a way, he really was," Mr. Webster's wife, Michelle Carlino-Webster said during the funeral, according to KOB News. "He really loved his job and protecting people."
The Albuquerque police chief described Webster's parallel service in the military and in the community.
"We, the Albuquerque Police Department, were blessed the day he came to work for us," said Police Chief Gorden Eden, according to KOB News. "He demonstrated his leadership in the academy, he demonstrated an attitude of caring and courage and a word that I heard in the hospital from many, many people was he rescued them."
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) spoke tearfully at the funeral, saying that as the daughter and wife of law enforcement officers, she "knows what it's like to see a loved one walk out the door and hope they make it home safe every day," The New York Times reported.
Ms. Martinez urged the community to take this opportunity to come together in Webster's name. The governor ordered flags flown at half-mast on Tuesday to honor the officer, and community members were asked to wear blue and line the streets after the memorial service.
Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry said he was proud of how the city had chosen to honor the officer after the shooting, as residents tied white and blue ribbons around trees, mailboxes, and light posts, according to The New York Times.
Others expressed support for the officer on social media.
Some continued on social media the trend of calling the slain officer a hero for putting his life on the line.