Memorial service for Oakland police officer Jordan Wingate

[Music] [Music] you [Music] are you are good you're good you are good you're good you are good [Music] [Music] [Music] again I know [Music] [Music] are you are you you [Music] you're never going never going to let me down [Music] [Music] let going never going to let me [Applause] going going [Music] [Music] [Music] let are [Music] [Music] going [Music] going to never going to let [Music] on for for for for for for s for for for for was broken and Scatter in Mercy [Music] empty but not foren I've been set free I've been set free [Music] amazing the rest I was lost but now [Music] [Music] bre that [Music] he [Music] I [Music] I [Music] he [Music] oh [Music] arm for thank you so much you may be seated on behalf of the three crosses family and with deep condolences for The Windgate family Randy Christine Autumn Nathan the extended family of Oakland Police Department and any law enforcement agencies who are here today supporting The Windgate family I want to extend a warm and gracious welcome of God's peace and grace through our Lord Jesus Christ my name is Larry vold I serve as one of the pastors here at three crosses I'm also a chaplain for Alam County fire department and I've had the wonderful opportunity and privilege to serve alongside of the Oakland Police Department chaplain Jason father Jason lza who unfortunately could not be here with us today but of course he sends his deepest condolences and he is with us in spirit We Gather here today to honor the life of one of Oakland's finest a young dedicated and fearless guardian of peace and Justice who made our community a better place during his brief but incredibly impactful career officer Jordan Windgate officer wingate's life service and ultimate sacrifice will be remembered forever by the citizens of our community and even more so infinitely more so by his father mother brother and sister along with his extended family of Oakland Police Department today is especially difficult for not long ago In This Very Room we honored the life of another Oakland Police Department Officer Twan Lee I'm praying today and we've been praying as a faith community for the Oakland Police Department in these very difficult and trying days with such tragedy in such a short period of time I also realize that there are no words I can share today that could possibly change the tragic outcome of what happened on August 13th 2018 as officer Jordan served valiantly and carried out his duty duties that day yet our gathering here today does have incredible Merit and value for all of us for Jordan's family our presence today is a reminder that Jordan's life touched all of us that he was loved respected and a valued member of the Oakland Police Department and of this community it's also a reminder to all of us that his life and story are a part of a bigger Story one that's continuing to be written in all those who knew him who served alongside of him and considered him family friend public servant first responder rescuer protector and a member of the great constituency of law enforcement all over our country in honor of Jordan's life and in response to his Brave and sacrificial career as a police officer I would like to invite all of us to take 55 seconds of silence as a posture of honor and respect for him being the 55th Oakland police officer who is killed in the line of duty after which I will offer a short prayer to commence our service that honors the life of Officer Jordan Windgate so now 55 seconds of Silence for gracious and loving Heavenly Father our hearts are broken today we wonder how many officers will have to give their lives in protecting communities like ours we thank you for officer Jordan Windgate as we hear more about his life today help us enter into a space where our anger frustrations disappointment despair might be transformed into more productive and life-giving practices for the betterment of ourselves and those around us I know some of us are angry God and we're even angry perhaps at you and you know this and I believe you understand this let those people specifically somehow hear the anguish of your own heart over the loss that The Windgate family has experienced and over the ongoing perpetration of Injustice and violence that pervades our society remind all of us that you know the condition of our world and that you didn't passively sit back without implementing a plan to restore hope to all in this world through sending your son Jesus by his sacrificial death and triumphant Resurrection you tell us that he secured rescue for anyone who believes in Him truly Lord you are the ultimate first responder now open our hearts as we hear Jordan's story and give us a glimpse into the story that you wish to write in our hearts too I ask this in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit amen and now I welcome to the platform interim chief of police of the Oakland Police Department Darren Wilson Allison first I want to extend my deepest sympathies to Randy Christine Nathan Autumn and all of Jordan's extended family and loved ones gathered here today every member of the Oak Police Department feels the pain of your loss we share in your grief and we stand before you completely heartbroken to all the First Responders here today and those who stepped up and stepped in to provide support through Jordan's long battle I can't thank you enough your support means so much to the family to me and to the members of our department President Kenny once said that a nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors the men it remembers today we honor and remember officer Jordan Tyler Wingate serial number 9686 an oak police officer who wore the blue uniform with pride integrity and courage a no police officer with a guardian heart and a warrior Spirit August 13th 2018 a date we will never forget a date when a young police officer responding to an emergency call was involved in a terrible traffic collision and sustained lifethreatening injuries at the time of the Collision officer Wingate Squad moved into action working to extract him from his vehicle and provide him with Medical Aid their heroic efforts helped keep him alive I remember gathering at the hospital that early morning with Jordan's family along with active and retired Oak police officers the outpouring of love and support was simply incredible we took over the hospital waiting room in constant vigil as we held hope that Jordan would recover we knew he was strong but we could never foreseen the magnitude of the fight he was about to undertake for 5 years 8 months 7 Days despite his pain and adversity Jordan courageously battled his injuries fighting every minute to Live While confined to a bed he showed his strength his determination his Warrior Spirit during that time we continued in Hope spending time with Jordan encouraging him to fight but after years of fighting on April 20th 2024 Jordan found rest and was able to be at peace and I can tell you it doesn't matter how much time passes 5 days 5 months 5 years no amount of time can prepare you for the loss of a loved one especially the loss of your child or your brother and all those dates associated with tragedy and loss bring sadness we need to remember and share the stories of Officer Jordan Wingate and I know we all have stories of young Jordan a son a brother a family member a friend a talented police officer with a bright future who had so much more to accomplish and so much more to give Humanity these stories our Treasured Memories will carry on his legacy a legacy that will endure forever in the hearts and Minds that had the privilege of knowing him and so here we are gathered today to share stories to pay respect and to honor our hero a shining Beacon of courage and selflessness who devoted his life to serving and protecting others those that new Jordan described him as dedicated hardworking respectful and funny practical joker just like his dad he had a huge heart and a way of making you feel like you were his best friend if you were feeling sad or frustrated all he needed to do is give you that Charming Windgate smile and you were hooked instantly smiling back and feeling better his generous and loving nature created an instant connection with those he met after the traffic collision the Oakland Community provided an overwhelming show of support for their young officer which demonstrated how much of an impact he had on people officer Jordan Wingate professionalism courage commitment to duty and passion to serve represents what it takes to be a great police officer he was an excellent cop compassionate loyal and shakable heart of the lion but he wasn't just a dedicated and courageous police officer he's a loving son to his mother Christine and to his father Randy a loving brother to Nathan and Autumn he's an uncle to little Jordan who is named after him he is a treasure part of a family and a valued friend Jordan Wingate was born on May 19th 1995 in Walnut Creek California his family remembers him as a happy chubby baby who loves Scooby-Doo and food who doesn't he always was looking for a little snack a term that he used to search for food even into adulthood Jordan moved to Brownwood with his family where he attended Heritage Heritage High School and early on he demonstrated a desire to be a police officer but not any police officer he wanted to be an Oakland police officer in fact some would say he was destined to be an Oakland cop as a law enforcement Legacy kid you see Jordan has been part of the opy family since birth practically his father retired Captain Randy Wingate was a veteran Oak police officer in addition Jordan's Godfather and Randy's best friend Willie Wilton Jr was also an Oakland Police Officer captain winggate and officer Wilkins were two of the best police officers at the department and they inspired Jordan and instilled his passion for Honor Duty and service in fact there may have been some co-parenting going on with Randy and Willie not quite sure but sure there was some but I do do know that Jordan wanted to make and proud Jordan began his career at the O Police Department as a part-time police cadet in 2013 as was about that time I got to know Jordan he reminded me of a mini Randy for sure same energy as his dad bouncing around the department same confidence same courage almost the same height I could say that cuz I'm in that 5 seven 5 Nish category right Randy but I remember Jordan's warm smile and positive respectful demeanor he was always willing to help to do whatever needed to be done to accomplish the task or the mission I recall one time Jordan was working as a Cadet at the Oakland Police emergency net crab feed all day he was hustling around working hard bouncing around like he normally does and at the same time my teenage daughter a few years younger than Jordan was also working the crab feed I remember my daughter and I'm not going to name which one looking in Jordan's Direction and and she asked me with a smile on her face hey who's that now Jordan's a great guy and a good-look kid but for the parents of daughters in the room your little girl will never be old enough to date and I was like nope nope nope go back to work get back to work and I spent the rest of the evening with one goal keeping the two of them separated in October of 2016 Jordan entered the 176th Oakland Police recruiter Academy and it was his dream come true during the academy introductions I remember seeing him sitting in his chair smiling that big Jordan wiay smile full of excitement and ready to take in the experience I remember pointing to him and said hey Wingate we're going to work you hard you have big shoes to fill he quickly replied no problem sir I'm ready I'm ready and you know what he was ready he excelled in the academy gained the admiration of his classmates and graduated as the valedictorian this was a testament to his exceptional ability and determination hands down at his graduation I remember seeing both Jordan and Randy with pride as Randy pinned the badge on his chest and gave him big hug it's the war in Gaza their demands [Music] next clean e e e dedication service sacrifice connection and our law enforcement profession it's Unique it's nothing quite like it it's truly remarkable no one should ever question the commitment Integrity of our profession Jordan is a shining example of police officers who do their Duty and serve with honor courageous committed unwavering unafraid Jordan protected our community and sought Justice for victims harmed by criminal Acts he knew that people depended on him and that without him there would be chaos in this world and to honor the memory of Officer Windgate we must continue to do the same to follow his legacy of Courage compassion and service for everyone who knew Jordan the time you've spent with him is precious is created lasting memories I encourage everyone to lean on those memories recalling stories of joy and laugh after love and friendship these memories your stories will provide comfort in this time of grief for those who visited Jordan and spent time with him after the accident I know it meant everything to him he may not been able to verbally Express his love or appreciation but you can see it in his eyes and feel it when you held his hand I know this Precious Moments help sustain him to my beloved members of the O Police Department losing a member of our OPD family is devastating I know we are still mourning the loss of our brother from December now with the loss of Jordan our pain has been intensified as I said just a few short months ago from this very stage the loss of a fellow officer takes away a peace of you a peace of way peace of your heart peace of your soul every time but courage is showing up the next day knowing that could all happen again and in true OPD manner I know we will carry on we will continue to show up continue to push forward with strength and fortitude becoming stronger than before and despite the pain and the hurt one thing I've learned in all my years is that we will make it through this moment because we have each other we must lean on one another and our families now more than ever for comfort confidence and support to the 176 Academy I know you have built strong connections with your brother Jordan during this time together as you know it's a connection that only officers who share the challenges and victories of an academy can appreciate it's a connection that stands the test of time I know your hearts are heavy and you miss them but I know you will continue forward honoring officer winggate and his Sacrifice by your actions and service your op family will be help here to help you and support you to Randy Christine Nathan aam Jordan's family thank you for sharing Jordan with us we honor you and recognize your enduring sacrifice we know the loss of a loved one is a tremendous burden to bear with tear filled eyes words alone cannot relieve your pain however my Earnest hope is that as time passes the memories of stories of Jordan bring smiles and in time will help ease the grief and tears of loss we can never repay the debt of Jordan's sacrifice but we will continue to hold him up to honor him and to carry on his legacy of Courage commitment and service making every effort to remain worthy of his sacrifice for Randy and Christine parents should never have to bury a child know we should be the other way around and as a parent myself with a kid who wears the badge on his chest I know that we pray for the health and safety of our children every single day that'll never stop but here today as you look around you will see a widespread show of support it's because you and your family are and will always be part of our OPD family and family is everything we stand with you and your family and we share in your grief we will always be here for you and we will never forget you and we will never forget Jordan the Life he lived or the sacrifice he made may you find comfort with one another and with your OPD brothers and sisters Randy I know the loss of old Jordan and Willie is immeasurable the hearts of your op family ache alongside yours but I know that Jordan and Willie are together in heaven and if there were criminals in heaven they would stand a chance with Jordan and Willie patrolling the streets no doubt Willie would call the surveillance and Jordan would be making the arrest but for now they are watching over you and your family and in my faith I know we will all be reunited again to Jordan's to little Jordan officer wingate's nephew I know you were born after his accident and you didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time with him but you honor him with your name as you grow up you will come to know your uncle through stories shared memor and the great Windgate qualities you possess just know as you grow up your uncle Jordan will be watching over you from Heaven I want to conclude with a quote I found this quote on the offer Dam memorial page and on that page people can write and post Reflections about their departed loved ones who have given their lives in the line of duty this reflection post was written for officer Willie Wilton's Jr I think this quote is a particular importance because it demonstrates faith and love courage and pride it represents the true Spirit of the author and it captures the essence of Jordan in fact the reflection I'm going to quote is the post and words from Jordan Wingate token Police Officer William Wilkins Jr Uncle you are my hero I'm applying for the police academy now yes at OPD I will never be scared to be out there because I know every second of every day you will watch over me with God it comforts me to know that the same streets I will be protecting are the same streets you were on the stories of you and my dad are what inspired me to be a police officer and I love you so much I still remember the day I was baptized and you and I went to Walmart and you gave me anything I wanted as always you're one of my biggest role models in life and if helped me through many difficult times I hope you always protect my dad and I through all things we do I love you Uncle Willie my godfather and Hero by Cadet Jordan Wingate open Police Department August 18th 2015 so in closing to Jordan our dear Jordan thank you brother for your service and your sacrifice your unwavering dedication to duty thank you thank you for answering the call to serve and for all the times you covered us and supported us your brothers and sisters in law enforcement most importantly thank you for your gift of friendship and love your legacy will live on in the countless lives you've touched we love you and we miss you we'll never forget you you can rest easy now my friend we have the watch from here God bless Jordan God bless his family and God bless the women and of the O Police Department for [Music] well mama told me when I was young sit it beside me my only son and listen closely to what I [Music] say and if you do this it'll help you some sunny day I we [Music] or take your [Music] time don't live too fast troubles will come and they will pass you find a warm and you find [Music] love and don't forget that there is a someone oh [Music] simp come man be something you love understand every it be a simple count up man oh W you do this for [Music] son get you [Music] L from the rich man's gold all that you need now is in your soul and you can do this oh baby if you try all that I want from you my son is to be satisfied and be a symbol kind of man be [Music] something you love and understand baby be a simple kind of [Music] man won't you do this for me son you can [Applause] [Music] yes oh don't you worry you'll find [Music] yourself follow your heart and nothing else and you can do this oh baby ity all I want from you my son it's to be satisfy and be a symol kind of man be [Music] something you love it understand baby be a symol come me who wants to do this for me son you can so baby be a simple be a Simple [Music] Man oh what you do [Music] this if you [Music] pictures are so great thank you at this time I'd like to invite to the stage retired captain of the Oakland Police Department the father of Jordan Captain Randy Windgate for I guess you don't really know how it's going to be until you get here right um learned a couple things don't ever let Chief Allison speak before you because great speech Darren appreciate it love it Mick I feel your pain very in depth great speech it was a mic drop um so I should pull it's been a long day already when Jordan's accident first happened all the way to the end people kept telling me you're not Captain wi get your Jordan's dad when Jordan passed they reminded me not to be Captain Wingate because I guess the captain winggate would check check and recheck and everything I get into operational Randy mode I guess I drive everybody crazy and uh I'm always where I'm supposed to be on time right uniform right place not today I forgot my pants found out at 8:30 thanks Pat thanks Sean for helping fix that problem uh before I started I didn't want wanted to pass this up Jordan absolute A's fan we hit opening day uh he loved the A's he loved the Raiders um I know this is the bay area's big rivalry uh I appreciate the Raiders um although the 49ers sent flowers first this is going to be a lot of thank yous um I mean I don't think we could have asked for more I guess the first thank you and those they writing the speech is I want to thank Christine for giving me and the world Jordan she carried him for almost a year 32 hours of Labor and Jordan came out crying as he did for the first seven months I mean I did help out in the process I had a part of it and back then men couldn't have babies so I would have if I could have I want to thank Autumn and Nathan Jordan's brother and sister I mean we've gotten so much strength from them it's just it's crazy how you go on and your kids are are the ones that give you strength right we're supposed to be older and more experienced and have better coping but aom Nathan you guys have been so strong Jordan be very proud of you I also want to thank the the people that have helped Christie and I throughout this whole thing and kind of been there to pick us up through the ups and downs and the roller coaster there's a ton of names but you know who you are you're in the first couple rows so thank you very much I also want to give a special thanks to everybody that's in the everybody that's here that's a Survivor everybody here that's a mother father brother sister to somebody who's been killed in the line of duty like the Wilkins family who's here today Fernando Senor Josephina Fernando Jr Stephanie Kelly and William I mean the amount of Courage it takes to come here and realize that you're going to relive something you know they lost Willie we all lost Willie but they came here and they're being taken back 23 years with the bag pipes the coffin the procession so I thank you for your courage I thank you for being here today and I love you very much special thanks to Kim plutz who saw Jordan's action on TV didn't know us and she's a nurse case manager and she immediately found a way to us and said I want to help she had Jordan's case the entire time they took her off the case two years into it and she told him I'm staying you don't have to pay me but I'm going to stay and represent Jordan obviously Renee who is all opoa and all that you do have done Christina I often talked about the medical staff at Highland Hospital the ER and the ICU the nurses that kept Jordan alive until he was able to breathe on his own about 18 days into it I mean they really stuck by him like every second and they fought through it when they thought they were going to we thought we were going to lose them they found a way and I want to thank all our family and friends who truly stood by us it was always there for Jordan us what we needed you and including now we have several people that traveled from far away just to be here for Jordan's day I want to say thanks to the members of the community when Jordan's accident first happened we got an absolute outpouring from the community I wrote a little note little snarky note don't let the media know that because it doesn't fit the narrative that people don't love the police but they do we have a great community and they love the police I think the biggest Thanks goes to Jordan thank you for being strong and living life to its fullest thank you for being a great son and showing everybody that a kid that's not the fastest definitely not the tallest not the strongest who has to work hard to succeed can chase his dreams and through tenacity and hard work be the best at what he does thank you for your smile all the way from being a when you were a baby to a son to a great friend yesterday at the vieing friends and family were given an opportunity to get up and tell a story about Jordan I didn't do it but as I sit there and the one story I wanted to share was uh during family game night we have a we like to get together and play Pictionary it's always boys against girls look at Autumn in that front row she's more competitive than me believe it or not so it's always boys against girls and we were playing the game and we were probably close or the boys were winning but Jordan got his word and he smiled and he smirked you only have two minutes to draw but he casually took his time as time went on he kept drawing a needle and a syringe and we just kept throwing out words finally someone said heroin and we thought we got it we thought we won when we looked at the word heroine that he actually drew it was that day that we lost and Jordan realized the difference between heroin and heroine Jordan asked you one time what what was I most proud of my Oakland career or my army career and I told him with no hesitation the thing I'm most proud of of is being his father and the father of the Ottoman Nathan because I realized probably right around the the the loss of Willie that Awards and medals and badges all that none of that matters at all as soon as you leave an agency or an organization 2 weeks later you're just gone but the legacy of being a good father the best father you can possibly be is the Legacy that goes on for generations and generations Another Story Another Jordan story was when he started the academy Jordan started the academy he asked me if I would make him lunch like I did when he was in high school I was uh a little taken back and I snapped back at him and said buddy you're 20 21 years old you're about to carry a gun I think you can make your own lunch it's time to be a big boy that's when I got the horrible truth my kids had hidden from me forever he said dad I only e half the stuff you put in the lunch anyway he's like your sandwiches always suck he said but I just like the notes and it dawned on me when I would make him lunch when I'd make the kids lunches I would write I love you or I'm proud you to write a note on the lunch I then realized that yeah I obviously I wasn't born in that wisdom and it took time it took time to to figure out I'm so proud of Jordan for touching so many people and creating his own legacy in such a short period of time he truly created his own legacy Jordan stood for something which is so uncommon in the world that we have today Jordan just wanted to serve his community and there's again so few in this generation that actually want to dedicate their life to service and serving the community when I started working at the oen police department in the early 90s there was there was no blurred lines between good and evil there's no blurred lines between criminals and cops it was a noble profession and everybody treated it accordingly Jordan took the challenge knowing the things that he up against knowing that these times are tough but Jordan didn't care about politics he only cared about helping those that were in need Jordan never met a stranger he treated everybody with respect regardless of your financial criminal or social status Jordan found a way to connect to everybody with his big smile and his kind heart people have texted me saying hey is there anything you need anything you need at all will be there I think the one thing I I that we want is that all the First Responders here the police fire everybody take care of each other and get home safe to your families everybody the community support the police members of government govern and protect the police in the community please make sure Jord is not forgotten and lives in our hearts I appreciate everybody in Jordan's 28 years that had influence on him from the time he was born to the time that we lost him one little side note much like his Godfather Willie Jordan liked to be a big deal so when we leave here and we head to the when we head to the uh Cemetery please join us in the procession and give Jordan one last tribute God bless Jordan and may He rest in peace in heaven with his Godfather wiie and all of his uncles it's a powerful tribute thank you Captain Randy at this time I would invite to the stage Jordan's sister Autumn Windgate first off I want to thank all of you for being here today to honor my brother I had always figured I would have to do this at some point in my life but I never thought it would be this early Jordan fulfilled the very typical Big Brother role in my life life being very overprotective having that tough guy attitude and whatnot regardless of how much he didn't want to be seen out with his little sister because we were seven years apart which Nate just got over a few years ago so I know I've graduated from being the annoying little sister to just sister so that's good um um but no matter how much Jordan just wanted to be left alone says teenager Shenanigans at the time and as he got older his career my view of him never change of him being my cool big brother I will never forget the time when I was around 5 or six I was having one of the worst nightmares of my life and everyone was home that night including my mom dad and Nate and The Only Name that I called out to come help me from waking up from my bad dream was Jordan's name just so happy he was at one of his friends houses that night so I just scared my dad and it was a whole thing but um I knew that no matter how much the three of us fought and acted like we couldn't stand each other I always knew I could count on my bubby when it mattered most my best memories of him are left for baseball and music I loved him so much that I wouldn't I would even learn all the names of the current Ace players at the time and look up their stats and the game scores just so I could text them about it and I knew it was the one thing that we could always talk about and he'd actually be able to relate to me with I don't blame him for not wanting to hang on his 13-year-old sister when he was 20 so I I one point I think we were all listening to the same music because of our dad and I know that we will always be able to bond over that especially the song Freebird by Leonard skinnard we all love that song and it all reminds us of our dad um and I'm very ironic that the first lyrics of that song are if I leave here tomorrow which you still remember me and the answer is yes Jordan we [Music] will as I stir out all these people that are here for you we will always remember you the laughs you gave us and your beautiful smile thank you for showing me the real meaning of strength I love you Bubby and say hi to Grandma Papa and Uncle will for me I'm going to be reading on behalf of my mom as well to Jordan from my mom my first baby best friend you took my breath away the day you were born you fought so hard to come into this world and then fought so hard to stay in it I am forever grateful that I was able to hold you as you took your last breath although you took my breath away then too your huge heart love for life and your smile will always stay with me I am honored to be your mom curling up at bedtime reading you Stella Luna two three four times every night you your never ending desire for Scooby snacks and the excitement in your voice when you you heard a fortify which was his version of a motorcycle I was always so fearful of losing you when you told me that you wanted to become a police officer but your love for the job shines so bright I am so proud and grateful I was able to watch you grow into the amazing young man you became I'll love you forever I'll like you for always as long as I'm living my baby you'll be thank you so much Autumn and Nathan standing with her and the tribute from Mom and all these Amazing Stories thank you thank you I'd like to invite to the stage now officer Danielle Warz Academy classmate and close friend of Jordan hello I am Danielle Warz close friend of Jordan I am honored to be able to speak about Jordan and the impact he has had on my life a whirlwind of memories filled my mind as I strive to pick a couple of stories to share with you all if you were around Jordan long enough I'd say a solid 10 minutes you would know he comes up with really good ideas but also really bad ones but those in turn create the best memories when I reminisce about Jordan all I have are good memories even when I think about the times he purposely annoyed me he would finish it off with a smile and I could never stay upset his smile sometimes reminded me of the moment the Great comes up with the idea to steal Christmas his lips would curl from ear to ear if you witness this smile it probably meant you should help him rethink whatever it is he's about to do like when he tried to convince me it was a good idea to chug 5H Hour Energy shots while eating Taco Bell at 12:00 a.m. because we had to be back at the academy by 5 or when he thought it was a cool idea to swing open his ASP while in the the back seat of a car so we could show everyone how it works Jordan also resembled The Smiling Sun baby from T Teletubbies this smile was more comforting especially during those intense moments of my career times I know many of you have experienced as well I remember speeding through Alam during a Pursuit and aimlessly running through streets I have never been to before chasing a suspect who clearly was was not going down without a fight after ending up on the ground with the suspect and not being able to provide my location to dispatch I look up here comes Jordan running over to me after everything settled down I saw that huge smile of his he was so proud he found me and I couldn't have been happier he was there although Jordan and I weren't assigned to the same district he seemed to be at a majority of our calls he made an effort to cover any officer that needed assistance anywhere in the city it's also true that he had fomo so we tried to show up to every call he could during his shift he definitely earned his rookie of the year award during one of my last meals I shared with Jordan at one of our favorite spots Chick-fil-A he kindly provided me with one of his routine therapy sessions he would always harp on the importance of dating another police officer he would say hops make sure you marry another cop because no one else understands us the way we understand each other what did we know about marriage we were in our 20s and my priority was making sure we didn't get kicked out of steakhouses when Jordan would try to serenate the hostess by hopping on the piano before we even got seated but Jordan knew what we would have to endure throughout our careers and he was making sure I had the support that I needed because he cared when this career starts to take a toll on us all we have are each other Jordan always made sure he was there for me and anyone that needed him officers are constantly warned about the possibilities of losing someone we care deeply about in the line of duty but we're never prepared for it we're expected to be tougher than everyone else in society and overcome any challenge placed before us the reality is we're all human and I've never felt more human as I stand here today honoring Jordan I miss you so much and I'll be looking forward to hearing that little Snicker of yours the little Snicker that would turn into a snort when you started laughing uncontrollably thank you Jordan for letting me be part of your journey although it was far too short thank you for watching over me from Heaven because just as you did down here I know you're going to be doing the same up there good morning my name is Daniel Strada I'm one of Jordan's many friends throughout the years I was fortunate enough to get to know Jordan better than most as we grew together from police Cadets to sworn police officers on to share some of those memories we created throughout our friendship Jordan's dream was to be a police officer but not just any police officer he needed to be an Oakland Police Officer working in the city of Oakland and everything to him no words can describe his eagerness to patrol the streets The Pride he had working at the Oakland Police Department was unmatched Jordan knew what needed to be done to achieve his goals and make sure to prepare himself for success in every way possible from going to ride along alongs shiny boots to Perfection and constantly listening to police radio traffic specifically P3 to this day I don't know of any other police cadet who could match the number of ride alongs that Jordan did one day Jordan and I were in the cadet break room shining our boots sharing stories as we have done so many times on this particular day Jordan took the time to tell me no more story about his Godfather officer Willie Wilkins how amazing of an officer he was the way Jordan spoke about officer Willie made me feel like I knew him Jordan looked up to him wanted to make him proud Jord emphasize what it was so important to honor officers who came before us and keep the memory alive the way Jordan shared memories officer Willie and how he spoke highly of him it's the way I will ever speak of Jordan there are many memories I share with Jordan but I always remember Moses how much of a fighter he was Jordan fought his way to the top of our Academy class and continued to excel as an officer even while Jordan was injured he fought hard for almost 6 years Jordan left us to soon but I'll never let his accomplishments be forgotten Jordan we love you my name is uh alilio Gonzalez um me and Jordan met in the academy shortly after we became friends as time went on our friendship grew stronger we became best friends and separable hang out all the time and after the academy more to look at him as a brother we got cut loose to uh dog watch District 2 beat 8 and beat 13 we doubled up as three out of8 I can remember the two of us driving up to beat 13 the Oakland Hills and looking over the city we would talk about how lucky we were to be able to put on the badge and be in the positions we were we both knew what we were represented Jordan loved his job and gave her everything he had he respected the badge respected the uniform respect to everybody who worked alongside of him I know today Jordan is looking over us and so grateful for every single one of you that I've shown up to shown his respects respects to him we love you Jordan thank you for those tributes at this time I would like to invite to the stage Maggie Burns who is Jordan's cousin Maggie thank you all so much for coming today Jordan would be very excited to know that he was getting this much attention for those of you who don't know me my name is Maggie and I'm one of Jordan's many many cousins Jordan and I would often talk a lot about how we were each other's favorite cousin um and I found out recently that he said that to all of us um I can't be mad at him though because when it comes to family Jordan really did win the lottery um this is the first time in my life that I've been to a proper funeral which I suppose is a good thing except that when I sat down to write this I had no idea what to say I did some Googling and asked around and ultimately decided that I wanted you all to get to know the Jordan that I knew I'm the middle of three kids um I have an older brother and when I was five and my mom was pregnant I'd hope that I'd get a younger brother too I don't remember this but I'm told that I was pretty upset to find out that I was instead getting a baby sister we really like each other now though um until 18 months later when Jordan was born and all of my wishes and prayers had been answered and I'd finally gotten my little brother I remember going to Walnut Creek to meet him and I remember that when he was really little he would spend time at my house while his parents were at work I'd follow him around like a tiny mother making sure he was okay and doting on him and when he was old enough answering his requests to pick him up and fly him around like an airplane once Jordan started school I saw him much less probably only a few times a year on holidays but once we were both older and had cell phones we talked all the time he'd ask for advice or tell me about his triumphs and we would share funny Thoughts with each other I would routinely get text messages that said I need you all to know that this is a direct quote from Jordan bro remember this when I'm a cop and I stop someone I will let them go every time I say pull over and they reply no it's a cardigan but thanks for asking and then the next immediate message he sent said I couldn't even be mad bro or and this is one of my personal favorites I called him and he didn't answer and then a little while later I got a text that said I didn't answer because I was eating Chick-fil-A surely you understand he would also regularly send me pictures asking me if I liked his outfit if I thought he looked good with a mustache or to show off whatever food he was eating but my all-time favorite text and the one that I've miss getting the most is the one that said hey mag I just wanted to let you know that I love you our families spent time in Tahoe during the Summers and that's wor a lot of my happy memories of Jordan take place the one I'm about to share with you is one of my all-time favorites we were sitting on the beach one morning trying to figure out what we wanted to do that day and he and I always remember this story differently he would tell you that this was all my idea and I would tell you that it was his idea regardless of Whose idea was we ended up hiking down to the bottom of Emerald Bay anyone who's been to Emerald Bay knows that the trail head is pretty easy to find but the four of us who went me Jordan our cousin McKenzie and Jordan's girlfriend at the time Francis we couldn't find it so when I tell you that we hiked down what I mean is that we slid down the mountain on our butts with no Trail in sight hoping for the best once we reached the beach we swam to the island and spent some time exploring I'll spare spare you the details of how we got back to the beach but we did eventually find the trail head and hiked back up to the car in the middle of a thunder and hail storm soaking wet and Barefoot with giant Smiles on our faces because of the absolute Adventure we felt we had just been on getting home and finding out that our families had planned to get pizza for dinner that night was I think the cherry on top in Jordan's eyes we talked about that day for years for years after and we would send each other pictures on the anniversary of our Lake Tahoe thunderstorm Adventure I like I'm sure most of you feel Jordan's loss deeply we will miss his smile and the way he scrunched his face up when he was genuinely laughing in the way he'd always ask if you wanted to go get food with him and the way he loved us all so fiercely getting to love Jordan was one of the greatest honors of my entire life and I will miss him every day thank you thank you so much Maggie and now I'd like to invite to the stage retired Oakland Police Lieutenant Michael Riley to provide the eulogy that smile I was proud to have been an oak police officer for nearly 30 years I was proud of still have known Jordan and his family known Jordan as a child to watched him grow into a man and watched me kind of Mo and police officer let's talk about Jordan Jordan had an All-American Serv in childhood he played Pop Warner football he played High School football and as you heard he loved to play with Uncle Willie whether some playing sports talking about sports sitting down watching TV watching cartoons Jordan being a kid Willie being a big kid every kid should had an Uncle Willie Jordan graduated from high school immediately joined the op as a Cadet uh Jordan had a significant commute in O and as a Cadet coming from Brentwood and he passed a lot of other agencies on that commute where he could have been a Cadet but Oak called to him you see Jordan was raised within the culture of the op family if you're an oak officer you have children your fellow officers become aunts and uncles to Tron and Jordan had many aunts and uncles the conect coordinator the Jordan worked for loved having Jordan as a Cadet Jordan's a special kid uh he recall a time when the cadets were tasked with driving several police cars to the Corp guard to be washed and fueled something you have Cadets do often the cadets are given strict instructions Stay Together stay with the cadet coordinator don't play with any of the buttons or switches on the patrol cars as a convoy of Patrol vehicles that traveled down the freeway one patrol car's emergency lights kept turning off and on of course it was Jordan playing with all the buttons and the switches and the car something his dad and Uncle Willie would have done uh the coordinator took Jordan aside and had a chat ultimately the coordinator channeled Jordan's enthusiasm for the job by making a Cadet supervisor the job that Jordan embraced and excelled when he was of age Jordan applied for position as a police officer and of the 176 recruit Academy Jordan's police career started off uh a bit rough H in the academy there are serious inspections uh one of the first rights of Passage is a class's first inspection in their blue wool uniforms if the class passes they can continue to wear their wools if not back to the tan uniforms looking like trainees as part of the inspection process recruits are warned not to lock their knees as this can cause one to faint during the inspection one of Jordan's training officer said he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and when he looked a recruited fainted and face planted in the hallway of course the inspection continued uh and a class member was eventually ordered to assist the recruit on the ground into the break room the recruit who fainted R Jordan unfortunately this was not the only time this happened a few weeks later the trainees are introduced to chemical Munitions to your gas uh the training's very popular with the training staff much less so with the recruits uh recruits are LED into a gas chamber which is loaded with chemical agents order to remove their gas masks State their name serial number put their mask back on the experience is uh unpleasant to say the least as this training Evolution unfolded the training officers once again noticed to to commotion saw members of the training staff dragging a semi-conscious recruit out of the chamber apparently Jordan took off his mask started to say his name begin to hyperventilate down goes Jordan now true Jordan fashion he Shrugged off both incense didn't phas him he pushed on graduates Valor of his class the training officer who told me his stories himself is a somewhat hide and paired a rat shared by m wind gates and he said from one short guy to another he appreciated that Jordan had the heart of a lion nothing was going to stop Jordan from achieving his goal of becoming an Oakland Police Officer I taught Patrol procedures of Jordan's class which comes towards the end of the academy uh so graduations insight for these kids are really excited uh my memory of Jordan during this time was the smile he had on his face every time I saw him and it reminded me of a little kid who knew that Christmas was just around a corner he was raring to get out there Jordan completed field training hit streets his performance was outstanding his future was bright and we all look forward to seeing what type of path he would carve in the agency on August 13th 2018 Jordan was involved in terrible vehicle collision and everything was about to change when Jordan was hurt it was devastating the agency to his friends and especially to his family as we listened to the doctor list all the injuries Jordan had sustained the odds were not looking to be in Jordan's favor but it's Jordan and where there was a will to fight there was hope Jordan's a fighter the ensuing hours and days were a team effort the skilled doctors and nurses of Highland did their jobs the family did theirs incredible Windgate family staying with Jordan around the clock for days on end the OPD family did their job providing security and comfort to the wind gates and of course Jordan did his job he fought the struggle was day and night especially in the early days but Jordan fought and ultimately fought for years there comes a point however when even the greatest Fighters grow tired and must stop after nearly six years Jordan fight ended this past Saturday while surrounded by his family he fought bravely but it was time when an officer passes there is a task that is performed by those close to the officer in which the belongings of the Fallen are gathered sorted and prepared to be returned to the family you can tell a lot about a Cop about what he or she carries what they hold on to jorm is no EX ction in Jordan's Duty bag I found a trauma kit with four tourniquets why four most officers might carry one why so many the answer to save the lives of others you see one of the primary functions of a good cop as a preservation of life I found a small notebook in which Jordan had written several cases related to the use of force see law enforcement's a profession good cops know this requires constant study and training I found bundles of OPD Junior police officer stickers why carry these one of the most important skills for law enforcement officers is the ability to connect with people and communicate stickers are a great way to connect with kids good cops know this good cops are students of History they study past incidents looking for Lessons Learned topics for training in Jordan's belongings I found a copy of a newspaper article from 2001 when will Wilkins was killed in line of duty and Blue on Blue shooting as you heard that was Jordan's Godfather that was Uncle Willie Jordan chose this profession he chose this agency knowing the risks knowing what this profession cost the Wilkins family what did it cost his father the loss of his best friend and that losses like these happen far too often every year across the country and yet he chose to serve how special is that if you want to honor Jordan be of service serve honorably there's a fundamental truth that majority of unheard citizens know and the politicians are slow to recognize the community wants more officers not less they want more Jordans not fewer I found one final item in Jordan's bag that was unusual uh it was a lone playing card it was Jack of Hearts it was this Jack of Hearts and I have to admit I was a bit confused by this but I I knew there had to be some meaning to it so I did some research and this is what I found the Jack of heart signifies an honest young man in love he is attractive nice generous and would like to be kind to you this card often announces a new intimate friendship as a lover the Jack of Hearts is often away but is committed and sincere and would make good marriage material perhaps the most important thing to know about Jordan is that he loved and was loved when I think of Jordan now I picture him healthy and strong the big Jordan smile on his face I think of him hanging out with his uncle as he went before him and I see him watching cartoons and laughing with his Uncle Willie safe journey buddy please stand by for the flag and badge ceremony for for for for for for for for e for for for for for for for for [Music] so much chaos that I can't get through so much time n for me and [Music] you love the way you can't stay late take you home before daylight breaks and all I [Music] know is one day this will all pay off and all I know is we pay the dues while they watch the clock we pay the dues while they watch the clock [Music] love you now like I loved you then every day our new [Music] friend hold you close until time amends the time we have to the time we've spent and all I [Music] know is one day this will all pay off and all I know is we pay the dues while they watch the clock we pay the dues while they watch the CL [Music] [Applause] [Music] la la la la la la la la la la la [Music] la la la la la la la la la la la la we P the we the we the while they watch we the [Music] [Music] la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la [Music] la e [Music] h [Music] [Music] to keep [Music] [Applause] [Music] my the end [Music] now and forever [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] all [Music] such a sobering part of a service like this to see that video C to me and I think for all of us the immense gratitude that we have for all those who are in law enforcement the open Police Department from her Chief Darren Allison all the way through the command staff and every one of you officers and those of you that are from other agencies here hear me say on behalf of the constituency of a community that you serve and thank you thank you for your dedication thank you for your incredibly hard work and your courage I'm totally touched by Jordan's life thank you Jordan see smile on his face knowing that he was quote destined to be an officer of the law what a great officer he was um I know we've thoroughly enjoyed the service I have I've been sitting here taking in all these stories and hearing these amazing tributes it's been powerful for me and I've unfortunately been to a few of these Services been a part of these services but each one is so special and each one is so real and so powerful I know I'll never forget this time and I know we've been here for a little while and I'm not going to keep you long but I just do want to just take a couple minutes before I give us some really important instructions about where we're going to go from here to just address the issue of suffering all week long I've been thinking about The Windgate family I've been thinking about the suffering that they've been through these last five years eight months and so so many days and it's unimaginable to me what you have been through I've been praying for you there's so much suffering and here's the thing I've learned as a Chaplain as a pastor as just a human being I've learned that suffering can do one of two things in your life I mean just this is through a history of seen a ton of it one suffering can make you a bitter person it can ruin your life I've seen it despair anxiety anger unceasing despair turning into a life of bitterness bitterness bitter I've seen it or suffering I've also seen can make you better not bitter better now that's that may sound a little cliche is but I want to just unpack it for a second if if suffering makes you better it's maybe because and there's probably lots of reasons but it's maybe because of a few things and I'll share these from a historical Christian Perspective it may be because your suffering has reminded you of a bigger picture of suffering that somehow you're without taking away the meaning and the gravity and the magnitude of your own suffering somehow your suffering is introduces you to a bigger picture of suffering um someone has said the world is a hard place to live but the problem is there's nowhere else to live and and you me we live in a world where there's a lot of pain but in our individual pain somehow if we're better because of it it's because we've panned back and recognized that our micro is a reflection of the macro and from a historical Christian Perspective for us that goes back to the first three chapters in the Bible where God promised that Humanity that there could be flourishing in life but to refuse God's instruction there would be certain death and futility and we've been living in the certain death and futility because of our spiritual parents Adam and Eve and again respecting where everyone is here I'm not trying to but just a perspective the world has been a wreck ever since I was talking to someone at the gym this morning knowing that I was going to be in this service and they kind of pushed me saying well you believe in a God how come he hasn't stepped in and changed all this these are real questions I understand but the Bible says that the whole creation is waiting for this in fact groaning inwardly for this trouble to turn it's a systemic problem it's a problem that all of us see and all of us live in every day but if we're better it's because we've seen a bigger picture if we're better it's also perhaps been because we've seen that we're not alone if you've ever been to the hospital I'm in the hospital a lot I was in the hospital for myself my wife was in the hospital recently for herself and suddenly you realize that everybody there has the same stuff that you got you're cancer patient you see cancer patients if you're in Orthopedics you see people needing to get fixed with something suddenly you realize that you're not the only one and that realization can sometimes be a benefit for the people that are around you God comes alongside of us when we go through hard times the Bible says and we before we know it he brings us alongside of someone else who's going through the hard times that we're going through so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us that's 2 Corinthians 1 your suffering might be a pathway of helping someone else God can use the greatest pain in our lives to touch someone else we not alone I can only imagine Windgate family how many people you have without even knowing it brought encouragement to by the fight you've been in these years if you're better not bitter it's maybe also because somehow this suffering pointed you to your KNE for God the great Theologian Oxford scholar CS Lewis wrote pain insists upon being attended to God Whispers to us in our Pleasures speaks in our consciences but shouts in our pains it is his megaphone to Rouse a deaf World suffering can help us get our eyes on God maybe that's you I don't know God isn't compre us he's not vindictive he loves you he loves you maybe your suffering will cause you to see him and then lastly I think our suffering if we're better because of it might be because we somehow identified with the suffering of Jesus Christ himself we sometimes forget that Jesus suffered in fact 800 years before Jesus went to the cross a Prophet named Isaiah said these words about him he was looked down on and passed over a man who suffered who knew pain firsthand one look at him and people turned away we look down on him though he would through thought he was scum but the fact is it was our pains he carried our disfigurements all the things wrong with us it was our sins that did that to him that ripped and tore and crushed him our sins he took the punishment that made us whole through his bruises we are healed we're all like sheep who have wandered and gotten lost we've all done our own thing gone our own way and God has piled all our sins everything we've done wrong on him on him that's Isaiah 53 in fact the New Testament says in Christ God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong so that we could be put right with God so that's it if if we're better and not bter maybe because of those things and I just offer those to you today wherever you are this would be a time maybe to think maybe differently in your own pain in your own suffering and for the wind Gate Family my goodness my prayers the faith community is praying for you we stand now in a moment we're going to have the dismissal but I need to make an announcement that two things one if you're not in the procession if you're not planning to be in the procession we would ask you to stay here as the pro procession leaves don't go into the procession and that includes everybody if you're going in the procession great but if you're not please remain until the procession leaves also for anyone that would like to go there's going to be a reception at zo freedus restaurant in Pleasant Hill you can Google it zo with a z Zio freedus restaurant everyone's invited anyone can come in Pleasant Hill after the services okay so I ask you to remain seated until the ushers dismiss each row and while remaining seated please direct your attention to the screen deputy chief beer please provide the dismissal members of the open Police Department stand by [Applause] col of files from the front mark for [Music] for [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: KPIX | CBS NEWS BAY AREA

Views: 3,030

Keywords: Oakland Police Department, Jordan Wingate

Id: BuQc8D57XSg

Length: 124min 9sec (7449 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 27 2024