Hundreds attended the Tuesday morning funeral for Dallas Police Officer Rogelio Santander, who was fatally shot last week while questioning a suspected shoplifter at a Home Depot in Northeast Dallas.
The bishop of Dallas' Roman Catholic Diocese told mourners at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall that the 27-year-old officer was a man of character and discipline who put his family first. Bishop Edward Burns said as a boy, Santander wanted to fight crime like Batman.
“He wanted to save a city. It was in his DNA,” he said. “It was in his desire to do just that — to bring justice and to bring peace.
Santander, a three-year veteran of the force, was remembered as a committed young officer with a contagious smile who loved his colleagues, girlfriend, family and neighborhood.
Officer Dung Nguyen said Santander also loved the job and everyone knew it.
“While we honor him and mourn his passing, we keep him in our heart and we smile because he is smiling with us," Nguyen said. "He is always smiling. Good bye, brother. We’ll take it from here.”
Santander will be buried at Restland Cemetery on Greenville Avenue.
Officer Crystal Almeida and a Home Depot loss prevention officer were injured in the April 24 shooting. Santander died from his injuries the next day. The suspect, Armando Luis Juarez, is charged with capital murder. He's being held at the Dallas County jail.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.