State are all there watching this slide show and paying tribute to Michael Katherman struck by a minivan while on his patrol motorcycle. The procession moved to the s. A. P. Center from los gatos. Heres a live look outside. You can see the police cars and motorcycles that have been parked out there as we wait for this funeral to begin. Again, the procession took about 45 minutes going from los gatos up to the s. A. P. Center for the funeral. Again, it is being held at the s. A. P. Center because that is the place where so many Law Enforcement officers gather to pay their respect. Bob redell is live outside the arena to talk more about todays tribute to officer katherman, bob. Reporter good morning to you, chris and scott, and these Memorial Services for Fallen Police officers and deputies make you realize how tight the Law Enforcement community is. There were hundreds of members of Law Enforcement from not only throughout the bay area, not only throughout the state, but weve seen from jurisdictions in nevada. This is the image just a few moments ago, about a half hour ago at the procession scott was alluding to from los gatos, arrived here at s. A. P. Center with the body of officer Michael Katherman of the San Jose Police force, 11year veteran. And you can see the such a large number of the officers who were standing on the side of the street here in front of the s. A. P. Center to salute the officer to give him his last respect before his burial later today. And after his hearst passed by, jurisdictions from throughout the state, bay area, morgan hill, belmont, throwing out places i saw along the way, the city by santa barbara, huntington beach, nevada Highway Patrol just to name a few of those. Officer katherman he was killed last week in the line of duty, as you mentioned. He was a motorcycle officer. He was in san jose. He was trying to pull over a speeding car when his bike collided with a van. And in spite of the help of a Good Samaritan, a couple of Good Samaritans and paramedics, they were unfortunately not able to save him. He died later at the hospital. We spoke with the police of chief for san Jose Eddie Garcia just moments ago. Its a very difficult day for us. Its a day its a combination of a day to mourn, but as you will hear mikes life is also something to celebrate. Not only was he an Exceptional Police officer, but he was a better man. And so i hope we can leave family, friends and the Community Today with a sense of who died for their Community Today. So the officers are mourning him, but were also going to celebrate him as well. When you go into this you know what theyre doing, this is their job daytoday, but youre just very grateful of the extended family you have up and down the United States that will support you if something happens or goes wrong. No matter what you always have them here with you by your side. Reporter a live view from chopper, which is hovering above the s. A. P. Center. You can see all the Law Enforcement vehicles inside and pretty much all the Law Enforcement officers who are going to attend the service have finally filed in. We expect this service to be starting at any moment. It is open to the public. We did see some members of the public, a few of them whove also arrived here to pay their respects to officer katherman, a man that they probably never knew but they tell us they appreciate his service just because of what Law Enforcement does for the community. After this service which is expected to end at around 1 30 this afternoon, officer kathermans body will be taken to a private burial that will be scheduled around 2 45. Again, a private burial with his family. Reporting live here outside s. A. P. Center here in san bob redell, nbc bay area news. Folks gathering waiting for the official service to begin, weve been watching a slide show of officer katherman and photos of his life, of his two young children, two little boys who just had to spend fathers day without their dad. Photos of his wife as they celebrated the kind of moments we all celebrate with our families. And of course photos also contributed by members of the Law Enforcement family, the memories that they have of him and what he was like as an officer. As this funeral begins we will bring it to you live. In the meantime lets make a quick stop and check in with mike inouye. Mike, i know a lot is happening in downtown san jose, if you can give people a picture of that. Yeah, good morning. We saw from the chopper shot all the Law Enforcement vehicles lined up right in front of s. A. P. And autumn street right next to it. Thats whats going on right now. We also saw traffic traveling on santa clara just in front of the pavilion as well. That will be closed vta service through the remainder of the service, be prepared for reroute onlines that will take you past s. A. P. , but heres downtown and Silicon Valley area. Lets get you down to the procession because as bob said after the funeral is over there were going to hit the roads as far as that procession goes. Its going from downtown san jose, take 280 south. Theyre going to head all the way down to gilroy for this. As we travel down 280 and continue on toward 101, the overcrossings, those bridges that go over the freeway, youll find most of those lined with likely firefighters and other Law Enforcement or some other ordinary citizens just trying to do tribute to the motorcade as it travels south on 101. Heres where it merges with 85 and continues south in toward the coyote area by the golf course down toward morgan hill. Eventually getting down toward 152 and well get off of the freeway and head over toward the burial quad. Were talking about this will affect freeways in both directions because through this stretch of 280 and 101ed overcrossings are likely to be lined with folks paying respects to officer katherman and that will be a spectacle for both north and southbound traffic. Be prepared some time after 1 30 all the way to possibly 3 00. Back to you. Officer katherman died after a crash in north san jose, this was last tuesday. A minivan struck him on north 10 street near heading. And police say the man in the van was making a left turn in front of the officer when they collided and that motorcycle, that patrol motorcycle that officer katherman was on came to a stop about 100 feet away. Officer katherman was taken to Regional Medical center where he later died. We spoke to a passerby who jumped into action during that accident trying to save the officers life. We can hear that mans call for help as he tried to save the officers life using the officers own service radio. Officer here on a motorcycle laying down, bad hurt, ambulance right away. That is the voice of dan sullivan who saw the crash happen. He stopped and used the officers own radio to call dispatchers for help and then did cpr until that help arrived. Its been really hard to sleep. When you see something this tragic, a fallen officer, and all they do for all of us, its really tough to take. Really tough to take. That was dan sullivan, not only a Good Samaritan but his own brother is a Police Officer. He knows the fear. Officer katherman described as devoted Police Officer and family man. This is video of him at work. He actually rode in unity tour in washington, d. C. To honor fallen officers including fellow fallen officer Michael Johnson of the sjpd. Most of the video youre watching here was shot by officer katherman on that gopro video as he was on that ride. We spoke with the organizer of the tour and mourning on this loss. Next may well be writing to the memorial again and his name will be on that wall. The last San Jose Police officer killed in the line of duty was Michael Johnson in march of last year. Johnson died while responding to a welfare check checking on someone, a man was threatening to kill himself and others and shot and killed officer johnson. Stay with us for live continuing coverage on officer Michael Kathermans funeral. Were going to bring it to you as soon as it begins. Folks are still being seated right now. Were also streaming it online at nbcbayarea. Com should you need to step away. Again, we remember officer Michael Katherman killed while on duty, end of watch june 14th, 2016. While we wait for that Funeral Service to begin well check in with kari and get a weather cast. Still going to be a very hot day, think about all the people standing outside and you have to Pay Attention to your body as these temperatures go up, make sure you drink lots of water. If you start to feel lightheaded, make sure you take care of that. Also a live look from San Bruno Mountain towards San Francisco. A warm and hazy day with mostly sunny skies, this is what we are seeing all across the bay area. Live look outside now and healdsburg in the north bay this will be one of the spots where temperatures will be heating up. Were already seeing that now. Were in the upper 70s in the north bay, San Francisco 71 degrees. And its 81 degrees now in the south bay as we drop in to get a closer look. Its 81 degrees in morgan hill. And willow glen 83 degrees downtown san jose 79 degrees. A look at livermore as we break it down for the next several hours. Well be at 91 degrees at 1 00. And well stay in the lower 90s all throughout the afternoon including the evening commute. So air conditioners up on full blast. And then later on this evening mostly sunny skies, our temperatures finally start to come back down by about 9 00 or 10 00 tonight. So looking at some more of this hot weather also creating high ozone levels. And that makes it very unhealthy for people who have sensitivities including breathing problems and asthma. You dont want to spend a lot of Time Outdoors during the hottest hours of the day. South bay also have moderate to unhealthy conditions and this is also what we could see not only for today but the next several days. A spare the air alert means you should also try to take some Public Transportation if you can. Its going to get up to 88 today in los gatos. In palo alto 90 degrees, and mid 70s for San Francisco. 92 degrees in santa rosa while oaklands at 80, it will be 96 degrees in antioch and danville today up to 92 degrees. Now, we are not seeing the worst of this heat. In fact, its all across the region. And its all because of this High Pressure thats still giving us temperature readings in parts of palm springs, over toward vegas, over 100 degrees, over 110 degrees while we will have some temperatures in the mid 90s. Heres a look at the trivalley, average high 81 degrees. And we could reach peak of the heat on saturday up to 95. Even in San Francisco average high is 67 degrees, and we will be looking at highs in the mid 70s into the weekend. So still feeling warm. With all the microclimates into this weekend it will still be in the 90s for the valleys. Trivalley, south bay as well as the north bay up to 90 degrees and San Francisco in the mid 70s. You can also track the weather at any time by downloading the nbc bay area app. You can even zoom in to your neighborhood and get a view of current conditions. Ill have another look at the forecast coming up a little bit later. Thank you. And we continue to wait for the funeral to begin. We will bring it to you the minute it starts. But in the meantime lets talk about those wildfires in Southern California. Firefighters facing an added challenge from the heat wave and no sign of letup. In fact a strike team and two engines from Alameda County are heading south as flames threaten homes and communities. Nbcs Steve Paterson is in Southern California with this update. Reporter wildfires burning across the west. Some of the worst conditions possible and in some cases with no signs of stopping. Here in Southern California two dualing fires, the fish fire and reservoir fire have so far burned about 5,400 acres. The brush right now is so dry, its very aggressive. Reporter 750 firefighters trying to battle back with no containment leading to about 750 evacuations. Firefighters here worried about low visibility, about the possibility of winds picking up and about a series of power lines that are in the hills where those two fires could join. Also, some concern down south at the border fire between the u. S. mexico border. That fires burned about 7,500 acres. Its burned up three structures. Its injured one firefighter. There are also other fires burning across the west in new mexico, in arizona firefighters hope to get some containment on those hopefully. Theyre trying to keep the weather conditions in check, near triple digit temperatures expected again today. Im steve patterson, nbc news. We will have more in just a moment. Memorial live welcome back. You are watching the casket of the San Jose Police officer killed in a car accident being brought into the s. A. P. Center. This is a live look at his funeral this morning. Officer kathermans casket making the turn there. And we will have live coverage of this entire funeral as it takes place here on nbc bay area. Entering the s. A. P. Center which is the only place large enough to hold the number of Law Enforcement officers that come from throughout the region, throughout the bay area and across the state to pay their respects. It was one week ago today that officer katherman was struck while he was on his patrol motorcycle trying to make a traffic stop by a driver in a minivan who was making a left hand turn and did not see him coming. The officer is going to be eulogized by a San Jose Police chief eddie garcia. Weve also heard from him this morning who said that as good as he was a San Jose Police officer, he was an even better man. He was a father of two, and he had a wife who is a schoolteacher. And they are sit tlg and clearly this is the moment theyve been waiting for and dreading likely at the same time. We will hear from two of officer kathermans academy mates as well, people that went with him to the Police Academy as well as a childhood friend. Unfortunately we had to do funerals like this recently with officer Michael Johnson as well. Very recently. Another San Jose Police officer killed during the commission of a crime, shot by a suspect. This officer katherman killed in a car accident as we see the casket as we see the casket and the beginning of this funeral. Watch the funeral procession as it was leaving the official chapel of the hills in los gatos as it made its way on city streets and on highways on over to the s. A. P. Center. We should mention that the family did okay this coverage, so we are being respectful of their wishes. As the Funeral Service rather the Memorial Service here ends and the burial continues on in gilroy, we will leave off the service because the family has asked for privacy both on the ground and even aerial shots from the sky. So we are here at the invitation of the family and we will leave as they have asked us to leave as this part of the Memorial Service continues. Officer kathermans body was brought up from los gatos and the funeral home there to the s. A. P. Center in a very slow motorcade so people all over the bay area could show their respect. We saw several Fire Departments and Santa Clara County fire department, San Jose Fire Department putting tall ladders up and hanging the American Flag over the streets as the motorcade went by carrying the body of officer katherman and his family as well. And then we saw people lining the streets as well. As people were being seated here at the s. A. P. Center they were watching a slide show of photos contributed by his family and also by his comrades, the fellow Police Officers he served with, that he rode on that unity tour, that memorial tour in washington, d. C. Just last month. That is in the honor of Fallen Police officers across the country. His own father is going to speak here at this service, at the Memorial Service, and it will be interesting to see the picture that he paints. Often time we give the family the privacy they ask for, but its wonderful to hear from the family members the kind of person they were when they were not in a uniform. Often its the same kind of person in and out of the uniform, somebody who wants to serve who knew at an early age that they wanted to do something for their community as well. All of us remember how important these people are and what they do. This is assistant chief dave noff. He will start things off. We are clearly having some problems getting the audio. And well listen in now. [ technical difficulties ] good morning. My name is dave noff. Im the assistant chief of police for the San Jose Police department. It will be my honor to guide you through todays service. To all our distinguished guests, thank you for taking the time to help us honor our hero Michael Katherman. To all the Law Enforcement agencies in attendance, thank you for your support during these difficult times. Although we may wear different patches, we are bound together by sacrifice and commitment to each other. And the service we perform for all their communities. We want to particularly thank our neighboring agencies. Time and time again when we have rung that bell you have answered the call. It is your assistance that has given every member of this department the opportunity to attend and honor michael. To the members of the community in attendance today, your continued outpouring of support, sympathy and condolences has been overwhelming and felt by every member of the San Jose Police department. We know when an officer loses his life in the line of duty its not just a loss for the department but also for the community as well. Mike died honorably doing what he loved to do every day, serving the community he grew up in and the community he loved dearly. It has been said what we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. A devoted servant to the Community Mike lives on in the deeds he performed. And in the thoughts and memories of him that we hold dear. To the men and women of the San Jose Police department, sworn and nonsworn, its been a long seven days since mike was so tragically taken from us. Your actions on that fateful day and the days following once again and always will exemplify what the city has come to expect from its police force. To mikes family, we cannot begin to imagine the anguish and loss you are going through, however we do feel your pain. The department often speaks about family, about being part of the police family. We hope you truly know and feel that you are part of our family. You always will be. And we will always be here for you. To april, josh, jason, thank you. Thank you for allowing your hero to be our hero and wear the uniform of the San Jose Police department with pride and loyalty. Today we will honor our fallen brother officer. Today we will remember a brother, a son, a husband, a father, a San Jose Police officer that was Michael Katherman. The first person to the podium today needs no introduction to current or past members of this department. His selfless devotion to the men and women of this Department Like these is indescribable. Mes please stand as i welcome San Jose PoliceDepartment Chaplain jim becknal who will lead us in thein invocation. Josh and jason, i just want to remind you of how much your father loved you. And how proud he was of you. He thought you were the best kids in the whole wide world. And he thought he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth. To have you as his sons and to have your mom as his wife. April, tom, diana, as ive watched you go through this painful ordeal, you have demonstrated a strength that can only be described as supernatural. Youre amazing. Your care and concern for others during your darkest hour is a reflection of the kindness and the goodness and the grace of the god that you love and serve. And in watching your family it became apparent how michael became the fine, Outstanding Young man and officer that he was. Will you bow with me in prayer. Our loving father, we come before you with broken hearts. We admit we do not understand losing michael so soon. But we thank you for the time that we had with him. We thank you for the gift of knowing him. And thank you that he died doing a job he absolutely loved with people he loved and that loved him. Our lives are richer because of him. Now please comfort michaels family, his p. D. Family and all those that feel the pain of losing him. Wrap your loving arms around us just as mike would and we ask this in your sons name, amen. Thank you, chaplain. You may be seated. We will now hear from a few people about the man that was mike katherman and what he meant to us and you. I would like to introduce you to San Jose Police department chief of police eddie garcia, who will present some thoughts and reflections. There is no such term as routine patrol. Eddie, hes gone. I will never forget those words. It is the most difficult thing to hear as a chief. But as i mourned along with my fellow members of the San Jose Police department, both sworn and nonsworn, i am equally proud to stand before you today for it is my honor to spend a few moments with you in an attempt to provide some solace in remembering a great officer, friend, brother, father, son and husband who was Michael Katherman. I didnt have the pleasure of knowing michael personally, so after mikes death i found myself on a journey. That journey was to get to know mike better. I wanted to know what kind of cop this man was, but more importantly i wanted to know the kind of person he was. I can tell you that from speaking to friends and family, mike was an exceptional cop. But an even better man. We mourn for mike. There is no doubt he will be missed. But after what i have heard these last few days, we should be celebrating mikes life. Id like to think that were not here to remember one tragic day but rather the life of a man that touched so many people, a life that some much older than mike would have been fulfilled and felt fulfilled if they had lived it. John wooden once said, the most important thing in the world is family and love. Well, mike must certainly have followed that mantra because he considered his Police Brothers and sisters family. And combined with his related family, love was most certainly abound. I was fortunate enough to have met recently with some of mikes friends and family. And the more i learned about mike from them, the more i was amazed by his zest for life, sense of humor, his compassion, dedication and strong christian faith. As a friend, mike was loyal and his moral compass was beyond reproach. Mike offered a perspective on life that his friends found comforting. Mike could give Law Enforcement advice to a friend one minute and break down a sunday sermon the next. Mike didnt take his friendships for granted. He made a point to make his friends feel as if they were part of his family. Mike was selfless and would do anything if he could for his friends. If you had issues with your motorcycle and needed it fixed, my understanding is that it would only take a case of beer and your company to get the job done. And i have no doubt that thered be a lot of laughs in the process. Mike simply honored and cared about his relationships. And he showed it with his actions. Mike would sense you were having personal problems, he wouldnt ignore it hoping it would go away. He would take an active part in making sure he couldnt alleviate the pain himself first. Mike was younger, and although they should have been teaching and training him, his friends will all attest that mike was actually mentoring them. There were a few things that did surprise me this week, near the stage you see a basketball hoop. And i was a bit taken aback when i was told that mike at a 58, 59, could actually dunk. And not on that hoop but on a regulation 10foot hoop. Another fact was that mike could do great impersonations. I understand that he did a great chris farley and a kermit the frog. But i hear that his best was a retired Sergeant Tang lee. One recurring theme was that mike enjoyed his ice cream and sweets. During the most recent unity ride when the rest of the contingent was at a local tavern, you could find mike at the ice cream parlor across the street. Frozen yogurt, Baskin Robins or mcflurries, it didnt matter. Im sure his teammates have fond memories of having all three with mike. But at least mike wasnt alone in his love for food. Our motor units are divided into two teams, 9100 and 9200. Mikes sergeant nicknamed their team 90foodhundred. Riding motorcycles was a passion for mike. If he could have ridden his bike into the locker room, he would. One of mikes partners told me that if mike was in the motor office and had to go to central supply, he wouldnt walk. Hed get on his bike and ride the hundred yards. Not because he was lazy but because he wanted to spend as much time as he could on his motor. Mike wasnt a great rider, he was an exceptional rider who left his motor instructors in awe during his first motor school in 2012. Im sure mikes passion came from his competitive nature. Mike excelled in basketball and played at simpson college. And once an athlete, always an athlete. His teammates told me that there wasnt a challenge that mike would back down from. He was the consummate teammate and epitomized community policing. I recently was reading through mikes personnel file this week. And along with all the accolades and letters of commendation that included an Outstanding Police duty award, i was drawn to two cases in particular. The first was a case where a frustrated grandmother needed help with her rebellious teenage daughter, her granddaughter rather, who was going down the wrong path. The grandmother stated, mike, your discussion with her granddaughter was a life changing event for her family, end quote. The letter further stated, quote, you validated what she and her granddaughters mother had been saying to her for years. And she wanted you to know that you made a huge difference in their lives, and most especially in her granddaughters life. This wasnt an arrest or a cite that we know mike was adept at. This was simply what mike had been trained to do his entire life before police work. To be the lighthouse in a dark harbor and to show the path. The second was a letter of appreciation on a case on Christmas Eve of 2011, where mike helped save the life of a stabbing victim. In it the rider states, quote, a grateful and respectful city should thank the parents of sjpd officer Michael Katherman for it not for their outstanding parental guidance, we would not have this outstanding Police Officer in our city, end quote. Tom and diana, as a father myself, the words i just read are what every parent dreams about. You raised an honorable, righteous and caring young man. Your mission is accomplished. Mikes family, where do i even start . Simply stated as ive mentioned as has been mentioned before, you are amazing. You are a model of strength and faith. Im told there wasnt a day michael did not talk about you. Tom, as a father, i can tell you that your relationship with mike is what all fathers dream and long for with their sons. If i can come close with my sons to what you had with mike, i would forever be grateful. Diana, mike loved being with you and having lunches and dinners. Im told that you accepted all his friends and made them feel all like kathermans. Mikes friends describe you as caring and selfless and embodied motherly love, and im sure mike felt that every day. On that tragic night, as we were trying to console both of you, it was you that were consoling us. I know i speak for all of us that your faith and strength truly helped us that night and continue to inspire us today. Nate, i learned about you and all you were doing for our country and your military service. The fact you were in the navy, worked on super hornets, its clear mike was proud to call you his brother. And obvious that you are one he looked up to as he was growing up. You are responsible for the making of this young man as well. When it came to april, theres two things that i learned. You are the ceo of the house, and that he loved you with all his heart. His sun rose and set with you. I heard how you two first met. The day he rolled up in his jeep near a group of young women at a mall in northern california. Little did he know the captain of the Cheerleading Squad was in that group. And over the p. A. System he said, hey, ladies. And you were sold ever since. But no more than he was. I love the story when mike bought a street motorcycle and claimed he needed to train with it. When he brought it home, april wasnt pleased and wanted some answers from mike. Mike then pulled out a helmet he had gotten for april, said i bought you a helmet, whats the problem . Lets go for a ride. Thats how mike was. Whatever he was doing, he wanted april to be part of it. Mike no doubt learned about being a father from tom. And he bragged about his boys at every turn. According to mike they are bad asses at everything they do. Mike taught them how to ride motorcycles, play basketball and baseball, but mike also loved every second of it. And in fact its clear to me that april was not raising two boys, but actually three. Josh and jason, i know your dads a hero and not because he wore a badge but because he was an amazing dad. There are other stories of mikes family and others he loved, but these were just a few. Which brings me to one of mikes other loves and that is the San Jose Police department. As a San Jose Police officer, mike was confident, competitive and someone who led by example. This was a type of officer that suspects would apologize to after altercations, that mike would usually win. Mike was the epitome of not mistaking kindness for weakness. He did his job, but treated everyone with respect. He always jumped in to help. And always held his team first and personal accolades second. He was the ultimate partner. And you knew you were safe with him. According to one of his partners, quote, i knew id be going home at the end of my shift because of mike, end quote. Mike gave his life to this community and was proud to don this uniform and no other. He had opportunities to leave, and although he would always be supportive of his friends that left, he missed them deeply when they did. This department is rising again, and it will rise again because of the Strong Foundation of the men and women that make up the San Jose Police department. Mike was one of those strong pillars and cannot be replaced. We will all just have to work that much harder. Mike died doing what he loved on active patrol, riding his motor. But more importantly wearing a badge that read San Jose Police officer. God bless you, mike. God bless the san jose p. D. And all the other peacekeepers. Thank you. Thank you, chief garcia. I would now like to introduce Michael Whitington who was mikes academy mate and former san jose p. D. Officer. He currently serves as an investigator for the Santa Clara County district attorneys office. Michael katherman, katman. He was our class, class nine. Hey, youre getting there. Lets try that again. He was our class, class nine. Thats how he lived. Thats how he should be known. He was my Field Training partner. He was my beat partner. But more than anything he was my friend. Were here for him now, and he doesnt want us to be sad. I know its hard. He wants laughter. He wants us to rejoice. In my heart hes telling me to do the only thing i knew how to do when we were together, talk smack. Have some fun. Tell some stories. Because thats who he was. In the academy, class nine, katman known for many things. Huge, goofy smile, hilarious, have you in stitches, a smile as big as a grand piano. But that wasnt what he was known for by all of us. When we all sit in circles and we talk about what we remember, he was our slowest jogger. Mile and a half, back of the pack, three mile, wheres katman . God forbid when we did our sevenmile trek like waiting for a train to nowhere. You see, katman wasnt built to jog. I know these pictures that youve seen they show a lot, i wish i would have had these before. But they still dont do him justice. Katman had a big caboose on him. And legs. He could walk into a redwood tree forest and be the envy of everyone. Every p. T. Day katman was in the back. He ran. His head moving side to side like a bobble head doll. The funniest thing to watch. A few of us would finish first, look around, okay, i take that back those guys finished first. Some of us finished in the middle. But wed go back for him, because thats what a team does. You never finish alone. And thered be katman right in the back. With that funny, goofy smile. And he always made jokes. Im built for torque. Im built for power. Im a sprinter, not a jogger. When youre in the academy, youre sizing each other up because you really dont know each other. Thats where you become one. So every time wed run back and see katman running and hear those jokes, we just thought they were jokes. And then we had sprint day. My god. 100pound dummy drag, like watching a bear carry a kitten. 100meter dash, 400meter dash, lightning. Turn on the dime. We have a sixfoot wall that we all figure out how to get over. I dont think he ever touched the top. Its true. For being one of the shorter guys in our academy, he had the highest vertical leap. The boy was built for power. We said goodbye to the academy and he and i were told wed be partners. Thats a huge promise. But after seeing what he could do, i had a problem. How am i going to keep up . Katman was kind. He knew. He was a mentor. He brought me aside and said, hey, lets go out. Lets do things together. Lets meet each other. So he took me to go play all these events. I knew i had to show him i could compete. First he took me to play basketball. Wish i would have known he was a collegiate basketball star. Never forget first day of the game or first play of the game, im going, ball, ball, ball, ball. He throws the ball at me. He hit me so hard i fell over and rolled my ankle. I had to sit in the bleachers and suck on water with ice on my foot and just root him on. When we were in fto, he always said, hey, if it goes down, we need to be ready. We need to be trained. So he invited me to go and do some martial arts and fight. My god i wish i had that picture before of doing that. Wed take time into shifts, wed go put wraps on, gloves on, go to the second floor of the parking garage. I figured, you know what, im taller, i got reach. Ill just jab and move. Every time i came to, he was sitting there looking at me laughing. That goofy smile. He tell me the name of the punch, kick, submission, annihilation that i had endured. And they all had funny names. Names that resembled him. Superman punch. Flying roundhouse ninja kick. And theres some other ones i cant remember because i lost the brain cells. But it wasnt just there. It was at work. When we were in patrol, i would take the face page, i would interview the victim and get the suspect information, katman would just go out and get the suspect. This weekend we were talking about some of the capers he and i had, messes if you will, and ill never forget we were sitting there one night, i had arrested somebody for one pill of ecstasy. Crime of the century. But im sitting there dangling my booking sheet at katman, whatd you get, whatd you get . Because you got to talk that smack. One hour left end of shift, he looked at me, okay, i got ya. He took off. Next thing you know in that same shift he arrested seven people in a burglary crew. He raided a house with a clandestine id and meth lab. [ laughter ] during the arrest he was katman, stern, dedicated. This weekend i found out that he had called his momma. And he called mom and said, mom, mom, this is the biggest bust of my career. Wed only been cops for three months. I see him now and its clear to me its clear to me our roles, his and mine. The boy was built for power. He was my superstar. And i was his cheerleader. I see him in all the pictures, i see him in everything hes done and he is and what he meant to me. And i got to sit on the bleachers and watch the game of his life and watch that beautiful man compete. And i am a better man for it. April, josh, jason, tom, diana, nate, thank you. Thank you for letting me watch the greatest game on earth. And letting me be a part of it. I love you, katman. [ applause ] thank you, mike. We will now hear from the man whos known mike from the minute he was born. And in speaking with family and friends over the last few days should be really should not be any surprise to anyone why mike grew into the man that he was. Its an honor and privilege for me to introduce to you mikes father, tom katherman. [ applause ] i guess my biggest fear is to take all these papers and have dropped them. So im going to try my best not to do that. Good morning. Thank you for being here. My wife, diana and i, are the proud parents of two sons in uniform, nate serves our country in the u. S. Navy, and mike served our city with the San Jose Police department. Our freedom and safety is secured because of men and women who answer the call to serve, protect and defend. Our family is profoundly aware of the sacrifice, dedication and commitment required to follow that calling and to put on that uniform. Mike loved putting on that uniform. And he loved those who served with him. We are here today to celebrate michael and to make a promise together. I am sure for those who know him, you would agree he is a hero. I want to share some things about our son and our journey to this spot here today. First and foremost, michael is a christian. He was led to make a decision to follow christ by his older brother nate. Nate led mike to the lord in the back of our camper van. Mike was 3 years old. Nate was 5. April and mike made it a priority to pass their faith in christ to their sons, josh and jason. This alone is a pinnacle, a zenith that is replete with overwhelming joy and satisfaction. You have no idea what that legacy means to his mother, diana, and i. If mike had not accomplished one other thing in his life, this would be enough. So the rest of what made michael who michael is to us and to those of you who knew him, its just ice cream