BUFFALO, N.Y.--With heavy hearts thousands of people arrived at the KeyBank Center to honor Buffalo Police Officer Craig Lehner, a man many of them had never met.
"I feel like I know him just from everything I've seen on Facebook and the news," said Buffalo resident Tara Palmeri.
"In the last week I learned a lot about him. They're brave people, like firefighters, they run into danger when everyone wants to run away," said Buffalo resident, Elisa Schreiber.
And while some headed inside others withstood the rain to salute the precession.
"I feel the pain for his family, his mom, that's why I'm here...to show respect," said Buffalo resident, Maria Quines.
It's respect that ultimately drew people to Lehner's funera .people of all walks of life, civilian and law enforcement, honoring a life of service.
"It's a good community and it shows what kind of person Craig was when you see how the community responds to something like this," said Palmeri.
"Between the police and the community I've seen some unity this week which is a good thing," said Schreiber.
A hero's tribute for a man seen has a Buffalo superhero.
"The reason I wear the Superman shirt, they called him Superman, and I want him to fly high," said Quines.