Justin Murphy

@citizenmurphy

Daryl Pierson's final journey, from his moving funeral at the Blue Cross Arena to White Haven Memorial Park in Pittsford, was given witness Wednesday by hundreds of well-wishers who lined Fairport and Marsh roads and stood sentry on the bridges over I-490 as his hearse passed by.

"We just want to be here when they bring him home," said Patty Perotti, an East Rochester resident like Pierson.

The 32-year-old was shot and killed Sept. 3 on Hudson Avenue, the first Rochester police officer killed in the line of duty since 1959. He will be buried Wednesday afternoon in a private ceremony at White Haven after one of the most memorable public funerals in recent Rochester history.

Speaking through pain and tears to more than a thousand attendees, Pierson's family, partners and bosses from the Rochester Police Department delivered a remarkable set of eulogies.

Several perspectives emerged on the man: dedicated cop, loving father, stolen vehicle savant, protector of the innocent, rotten driver.

Officer Rich Ortiz, his partner for three years, spoke through continuous tears. Sgt. Steven Kennedy and chaplain Don Wollschleger described their presence at his deathbed. Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli called him "our blue angel" and promised his wife and two young children that they'd gained the entire department as a permanent extended family.

Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy, the former Rochester police chief, cast Pierson's death as a contrast between two men's life choices during his eulogy for the fallen officer.

Pierson went to school, served in the military and had become what Duffy, his former boss, called "a great cop." He married, bought a house and was a stabilizing force in the community.

"It's not how Daryl Pierson lost his life that made him a hero," Duffy said. "It's how he lived his life."

Thomas Johnson III, the man who allegedly shot him, did none of those things. The bullet he's accused of firing struck not only Pierson but the entire community, Duffy said, and it is the responsibility of the community to honor and defend those who serve and protect it.

"He was a man of dedication, faith, great love and compassion, a man who worked daily to eradicate this city of illegal weapons and dangerous criminals, and that dedication sadly brings us to this moment," Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said. "Officer Daryl Pierson will be celebrated and remembered forever."

The funeral was preceded by a procession down Plymouth Avenue and Broad Street, conducted in silence save the rattling drums and the heaving bagpipes. More than a thousand law enforcement officers from across the state and beyond stood at rigid attention, the sunlight glinting off their hats and badges.

Pierson's family followed the coffin into the arena, dressed in black and blue and lacking the precision - but not the gravity - of law enforcement officers who flanked them. Farther up Broad Street, a giant American flag was suspended overhead.

Pierson's father-in-law, Rev. Mitch Evans of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in East Rochester, delivered the opening message.

"Expect to mourn. Expect to weep. Expect to celebrate, and also expect to begin to heal - by God's grace," Evans said. "Its been said that the fingerprints of God are all over his creation, especially on mankind – (that is) especially true of Daryl."

Lt. Eric Paul of the RPD tactical unit talked about what a bad driver Pierson was, how his teeth stuck out when he smiled, and how cops getting killed - hearing the words "officer down" come over the radio - isn't something that happens in Rochester.

His eulogy, humorous and heart-breaking, doubled as therapy for his fellow officers. It was on Paul's watch that Pierson was shot, and he knew the guilt many still feel.

He asked the audience to hold hands, and to squeeze them as he spoke.

"There's no finger-pointing; there's no blaming; there's no second-guessing. You did nothing wrong," he said. "Squeeze."

Pierson, an eight-year veteran, was attempting to apprehend Johnson, 38, after a traffic stop when Johnson allegedly shot and killed him. Johnson was shot and wounded by Pierson's partner, Michael DiPaola, and faces a slew of charges, including murder.

Duffy said to DiPaola Wednesday: "You are an outstanding police officer. What you did last week, very few police officers across this country could have done. ... Your partner is in heaven and he is proud of you and everyone in this room is proud of you."

Amy Pierson, Daryl's wife and mother of their two young children, spoke second-to-last and, in a composed, grateful eulogy, thanked the police department, her friends and family for their support and promised her presence at Johnson's court proceedings.

"I've been asked how I feel about the man responsible for my husband's death. What I can say is, he does not have power over me or over this community," she said, to thunderous applause. "It does and it doesn't get easier. But there's hope, because we carry him with us."

After a closing prayer, the assembly gathered again on the Broad Street bridge. A helicopter flew by overheard and 21 shots were fired in salute before the flag covering Pierson's coffin was presented to his wife.

Includes reporting by staff writers Brian Sharp and David Riley.