RALEIGH, N.C. — A horse-drawn carriage is bringing Officer Gabriel Torres' casket to Cross Assembly Church in Raleigh on Saturday.
Caisson units carry caskets of first responders killed in the line of duty. But this is a bit of a special case, since Torres was not yet on duty when he died.
Jamie Massey owns J&L Carriage in Princeton. He started offering horse-drawn carriages for weddings and now also serves funerals.
"There have been funerals I've done over the years, and I will never forget them," Massey said. "I did my grandfather's funeral, I did my grandmother's funeral and that was special. They're all special."
The funeral home asked Massey to offer his services for Torres' funeral Saturday. On Friday, Massey went to Cross Assembly to practice.
"There's just so many moving parts. You've got a funeral home, you have law enforcement and myself coming together, when normally it's just me," Massey said. "It is important to know what they are going to do, what I am going to do and what works and what doesn't work, because it's a big stage."
Massey has been honoring lives in this way for more than 20 years. He has provided his services to fallen soldiers and retired officers.
The history of caisson units goes back to 19th century. Originally they were used as ammunition wagons. And as soldiers were killed on the battlefield, they began to use the caisson as a way to transport the bodies. Over the years the tradition has remained with us as a way to honor someone's life.
"I'm honored, and I am humbled," Massey said. "To do something for the family and the friends and the deceased, to be able to do something that they will remember for the rest of their life is special to me."
The funeral for Torres will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cross Assembly Church on Yonkers Road in Raleigh. The service is open to the public.
The Raleigh Police Department has set up a memorial and asks those who wish to contribute in honor of Torres or to support his family to contact SupportRPD@raleighnc.gov.
Back the Blue NC, a nonprofit that advocates for law enforcement officials, launched a fundraiser for Torres' family through GoFundMe. It had raised more than $118,000 as of Friday night.
The Gofundme.com site is not managed by Spectrum News 1. For more information on how the site works and the rules visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety.