Friends, family and community members gathered in Oakland for a Buddhist ceremony to fondly remember Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le Friday.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports incense filled the air while Buddhist nuns chanted prayers.
Le died last Friday while working undercover at a cannabis dispensary. Recently he received a commendation from interim Police Chief Darren Allison for saving a life. Le served as a community service officer in West Oakland and worked to bring law enforcement closer to the community.
He “continued to show up for our communities and businesses,” said Jennifer Tran, president of the Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
A GoFundMe campaign launched to benefit his family has raised $114,000 of the current $125,000 goal. A loving husband, he was born in Vietnam in Saigon in 1987 before moving to Oakland. He graduated from Oakland High and San Francisco State University.
“Officer Le’s passing leaves a void not only to his family, but also in the community he serves,” said Oakland Chinatown Chamber Foundation President Carl Chan to KRON-TV.
Two men face charges of murder for Le’s killing. They are Mark Demetrious Sanders, 27, and Allen Starr Brown, 28. A third man, Sebron Ray Russell, 28, face burglary charges.
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