SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — The family of a fallen South Fulton police officer had everyone in tears during the funeral Monday for Capt. Helio Garcia III.
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They spoke about how much Garcia loved his job, his coworkers and life itself.
Garcia, who was promoted to captain posthumously, was laid to rest following a memorial at World Changers Church, Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes reported.
His 16-year-old daughter, Isabella, said her dad was kindhearted, considerate, brave, loving and funny.
“The relationship he’s built with my mom and I over the past 16 years will be something that I treasure in my heart forever,” she said. “You gave me the world before you left it and showed me what real love looked like.”
She said her father treated all kids as his own, and he was the dad everyone wanted. In her father’s name, she would like everyone to live in the moment and appreciate life.
“You’re never promised tomorrow, so do everything in love,” she said. “Be the things you loved most about the people who are gone. Continue to love, continue to forgive and continue to grow. My father’s death has been the only thing that has brought me tears because he was nothing but pure love.”
His dad, Helio Garcia Jr., shared his last text messages with his son, and they validated how proud he was to be a leader in the South Fulton Police Department.
“This has been very very hard, for my wife – for myself to try to make sense of what has happened – but I see here all these men, all these brothers,” the father said. “I see here so many people he must have touched, you don’t know how proud he has made me today.”
Garcia’s father said the family is still trying to make sense of it all. Many consider Garcia’s death preventable, and that’s what made it so hard to say goodbye.
Charges are still pending for the 31-year-old suspect in this case. Police say she veered into Garcia’s lane and killed him in a head-on collision.
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