ST. LOUIS — It is going to be an emotional weekend for St. Louis City Police as the community honors Officer David Lee, who was killed in the line of duty. A memorial for Officer Lee has been growing outside the North Patrol station on Union, where the public is invited to attend a balloon release this evening at 5:30 p.m. Lee’s family, fellow officers, and commanders are expected to be present.
Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday. The public is invited to line the escort route as Officer Lee’s body is moved from Serenity Memorial Funeral and Cremation Service to Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, where the funeral will take place. The procession will travel along Dr. Martin Luther King Drive between Union and Belt around 8 a.m. and return to the funeral home around 3 p.m.
Officer Lee was tragically killed on September 22 while working at a crash site on I-70 Eastbound near Grand. He was struck by 24-year-old Ramon Chavez-Rodriguez, who was allegedly driving drunk. Lee was moving cones when Chavez-Rodriguez lost control of his vehicle, pinning Lee against his patrol car. Lee was rushed to the hospital but died during surgery. Chavez-Rodriguez is now in custody and facing charges.
Tomorrow at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, there will be a visitation for Officer Lee at 10 a.m., and the funeral will follow at 1 p.m. Officer Lee, a veteran of 18 years with the St. Louis Police Department, was 44 years old. He is survived by his wife, two children, his mother, and his sister.
