Dayton officer shot: Community comes together to serve thousands attending services

Thousands of officers from around the country will be traveling to the Miami Valley to pay their respects for Detective Del Rio on Tuesday.

Businesses throughout the area will be coming together ahead of the services to make sure the officers attending are taken care of.

>> RELATED: Dayton officer shot: Services for Det. Del Rio will be held at UD Arena

An estimated more than 3,000 law enforcement officers are expected to attend the funeral at the UD Arena.

“Jorge Del Rio touched a lot of lives in the law enforcement community,” FOP President Elect Jerry Dix said. “We have lost a brother, and not only have we lost a brother, but so has every police officer in the community, state and across the nation… have lost one of the most outstanding people I have every met in my 30-year career.”

>> RELATED: Del Rio funeral: Kettering schools dismissing early for procession

Dix says the community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive with donations and businesses wanting to show their support by providing breakfast and drinks to the officers attending services.

“Businesses and organizations from around the community, they have done nothing but have open arms for ourselves and for every police officer in the Dayton police department,” he said.

>> RELATED: Dayton officer shot: Fundraising efforts for Del Rio family started by FOP

As for monetary donations, there are two ways to donate:

Through the FOP Lodge 44 GoFundMe page and through the CODE Credit Union on West Monument Avenue. Checks must be made out to the Dayton FOP 44 Foundation with “Detective Del Rio” in the memo line.

Dix knows Tuesday will be hard and wants the Del Rio family to know they won’t go through this tragedy alone.

“Know that this FOP and every one of your brothers and sisters is behind you 100 percent. We are going to carry you through this and we are all going to get through this together,” he said.

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