Civilians, police donate blood to honor fallen officer

SAPD Chief William McManus gives blood Monday in honor of Officer Robert Deckard who died Friday in the line of duty. SAPD Chief William McManus gives blood Monday in honor of Officer Robert Deckard who died Friday in the line of duty. Photo: John Davenport, San Antonio Express-New Photo: John Davenport, San Antonio Express-New Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Civilians, police donate blood to honor fallen officer 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — In his 24 years on the force, San Antonio police Officer Ernest Herrera Jr. has known three men from his academy class who died in the line of duty.

He also knew the department's most recent fallen officer, Robert “Bobby” Deckard.

“It broke my heart,” Herrera said about hearing the news Deckard had been shot while pursuing armed robbery suspects. “We both love what we're doing. It's tragic.”

So on Monday morning, Herrera took time from his daylight shift on the West Side to go to Fort Sam Houston and donate blood in Deckard's honor. He was one of a steady stream of people to donate during the blood drive held at Akeroyd Blood Donor Center on the base.

The police department on Monday also announced that Deckard's funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 4 at Cornerstone Church. A public visitation is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Jan. 3 at Porter Loring Funeral Home on McCullough Avenue, with an officer visitation to be held a day earlier.

Calling Deckard an “all-American cop,” Chief William McManus said at the blood drive that there was no better way to honor the slain officer.

“He was a good guy, a hard worker and treated people right,” McManus said. “His loss has been an unbelievable shock to his family and the entire community.”

Deckard, a 31-year-old father of two, was pronounced dead at 9:53 a.m. Friday after nearly two weeks in the intensive care unit at San Antonio Military Medical Center, where he was being treated for a bullet lodged in his brain.

Shortly after Deckard's death, Shawn Ruiz Puente, 32, and Jenevieve Ramos, 28 were charged with capital murder, punishable only by life in prison without parole or execution. Their bail was set at $1 million each.

Puente and Ramos were suspected in multiple robberies, including several that occurred just prior to Deckard spotting their car around 2 a.m. on Dec. 8. The pursuit that followed went into Atascosa County, where Deckard was hit in the forehead by a shot fired from the car, authorities said. The pair also exchanged gunfire with a Poth police officer prior to being arrested in Wilson County, according to police.

Along with capital murder, Puente also was charged with aggravated robbery in Bexar County and unlawful carrying of a weapon and drug possession in Atascosa County.

“We sincerely appreciate everyone standing beside us at this tough time in our lives,” Deckard's family said in a statement last week. “People from all over the country have reached out to us and it fills our hearts with pride to know that everyone was touched by Bobby's story to such an extent.”

Caitlin Carlo, 21, went to the blood drive with her grandmother to show support. Carlo said her father is a SAPD sergeant, so even though she didn't know Deckard she feels for his loved ones and fellow officers.

“You have a lot of faith,” Carlo said about the worries families of officers must face. “You send your parent out there to do a job and have to have faith they'll come home.”

Deckard is the first SAPD officer to be fatally shot in the line of duty since 2007, although four others have died in traffic incidents.

A benefit fund for Deckard's family has been set up at Generations Federal Credit Union. The Greehey Family Foundation and the NuStar Foundation on Monday donated $5,000 each to the fund. The energy company had previously pledged to give $5,000 to the family of any slain officer, according to a company news release.

Donations can be made online at http://info.mygenfcu.org/deckard-benefit-account/.

mmondo@express-news.net

Staff writer Drew Joseph contributed to this report