10:50 a.m., South 56th Street and South Tacoma Way

The sidewalks were crowded with more than 2,000 people, some who had waited for a couple hours for the arrival of the police procession. They stood eight and 10 deep in places.

The people waved.  They saluted. Their faces were solemn. Some wiped tears from their eyes.

It was a quiet, solemn moment. The street was like a church.

The temperature finally was above freezing.

Native American spiritual music drifted over the crowd beneath the Island Kitchen restaurant.

Charlotte Djiguima who lives above the restaurant, had  opened a window in her apartment and placed the speakers in the window. A blue cross for the four Lakewood 0fficers was in the window. Five candles burned in the window: four for the Lakewood officers who were shot and one for the Seattle officer recently killed.

She said the haunting music was “for the fallen.”

The LED billboard sign for Austin’s Auto/Max continuously showed photographs of the slain Lakewood officers and a waving American flag.

After the families had passed by and the long line of officer vehicles began to come by, people became more animated. They clapped their appreciation at time.