Coral Ortiz Photo
Officers and loved ones gather at Wednesday's funeral.
Ofc. Gonzalez.
The death of Police Officer Diane Gonzalez “changed all of our lives in some way,” one of her former colleagues recalled at an emotional funeral ceremony held Wednesday.
Acting Chief Dominguez and Ex-Chief Campbell speak at Wednesday's funeral.
That former colleague, Acting Police Chief Renee Dominguez, made those remarks before a crowd of 150 friends, relatives, former coworkers, and elected officials gathered graveside at Evergreen Cemetery. said this at the funeral of Officer Gonzalez, a 13-year veteran of the NHPD who died last week after spending 13 years in a coma following a 2008 crash with another officer en route to an emergency call.
Dominguez described Gonzalez as the “hen taking care of her chicks” during her time at the police department. She said Gonzalez left her mark on the department, particularly on other female officers. With such an impact on the department and the city, Dominguez encouraged those in attendance to continue “soul searching” and “love fiercely” in Gonzalez’s memory.
Band playing at the funeral.
Other speakers at the funeral described how Officer Gonzalez always was willing to take extra shifts, connected with the community, and showed a deep love for her children and grandchildren.
Former Chief Anthony Campbell recalled a moment at Dunkin Donuts he and Officer Gonzalez “broke up a fight.” Officer Gonzalez used her ability to “know how to talk to people” and calmed everyone down. She “always made sure to take care of people around her,” Campbell said. He vowed the New Haven will “never let the memory of her die.”