Community members attend Celebration of Life for fallen CCPD officer

A Celebration of Life was held Tuesday for fallen Corpus Christi police officer Kyle Hicks, who died April 24 of injuries sustained in the line of duty.

Family, friends and colleagues, along with countless community members, gathered from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church at 3115 Ocean Drive for the memorial service, during which people who knew Hicks read eulogies honoring him as a husband, father and fellow officer with the Corpus Christi Police Department.

A funeral motorcade comprised of police and sheriffs from CCPD, the Nueces County Sheriff's Department and statewide agencies proceeded down the drive after the ceremony to escort the officer's remains past the Corpus Christi police station, with people standing along both sides of the road stopping to pay their respects.

The speakers recalled Hicks' unique sense of humor, compassion and honesty, among other attributes. His mother, Ann Hicks, told a story about how he devotedly took care of his younger brother, Andy. His wife, Cassandra, recalled first meeting him at Chick-Fil-A where he worked before pursuing a career as an officer.

“While I fluctuate between anger and sadness most days, I find pockets of time when I am so deeply thankful for this pain, because it’s my price, I know that,” Cassandra said, “for getting to love you and be loved by you for half of my life. It was a love deep in my bones—the kind that makes you feel safe and warm, like coming home or listening to a favorite song.”

Hicks had been with CCPD for less than two years, graduating from the police academy on Jan. 27, 2023, at the age of 31. He leaves behind four children and a wealth of friendships and camaraderie with the department, reflected in the stories shared by CCPD police Chief Mike Markle, officer Andrew Wood, a representative of the 81st Academy Class and other co-workers.

“Kyle had compassion, kindness and an unwavering dedication to loved ones,” said CCPD officer Kimberly Silva, a representative of the R Shift. “We are blessed to have worked with him and appreciate the opportunity to have met Kyle and be a part of his life.

“Kyle is still in our hearts and souls when we put on uniforms and go to work and when we kiss and hug our loved ones,” she said.

The two-hour funeral service also included a 21-gun salute by an honor guard and a last call. An end of watch was held April 24. He was wounded by a gunshot while responding to a call on April 20 for a domestic disturbance and shots fired at a Southside apartment complex, dying from the injuries four days later.

Since his death, community members and organizations have shown an outpouring of support for Hicks.

An honor run was held along the bayfront on April 29 by the Corpus Christi Southside Runners group and Team BlueLine, and a marked police unit was placed outside of CCPD headquarters on April 24. A fellow officer, Denise Pace, started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Hicks’ family. More than $112,000 had been raised the day of the services.

Most recently, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced plans to pay off the mortgage on the home of the officer’s family. The group supports first responders and law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Community members attend Celebration of Life for fallen CCPD officer