Fellow police and firefighters choked back sobs as they described Lt. Michael Chiapperini as a friend, mentor and family man at a funeral attended by first responders from across New York and other states.
Chiapperini and fellow firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka were slain by gunman William Spengler in a fiery Christmas Eve ambush in a neighborhood on the shore of Lake Ontario.
At Chiapperini's funeral Sunday afternoon in a local high school auditorium, Webster Fire District Chief James Deisenroth called him a "true hero" and mentor who "gave me the courage and confidence to handle anything."
Bagpipers and drummers played as family, friends and uniformed first responders filed past Chiapperini's flag-draped casket at the end of the service.
Kaczowka's funeral is on Monday.
Police, Firefighters Attend Funeral for Slain Colleague
The funeral of Lt. Michael Chiapperini was held Sunday
Copyright AP - Associated Press