Didnt catch a fish, which was rare. But he loved to just keep on casting and waiting. Mice mike is a huge baseball fan and he and his wife and the boys are hooked on the giants. Mike has helped coach several of the boys little lake ball teams and their skills are really progressing. In fact, watching mike work with the boys on hitting, pitching and catching was just plain fun. Joshs team came in second place this year in the Little League aa division. He started playing basketball in the six grade and from that point on he was hooked on the sport. While playing point guard sorry, he eventually saw his dream of watching playing basketball in college came true. He went on a mission trip in china to play local teams and put on clinics for kids. They had many opportunities to share their faith. This type of mentoring is something that mike enjoyed and he was good at it. Both his boys have picked up his love of the game of basketball and diana and i have had the joy of watching mike coast their team in gilroy. If you guys have young kids and you have a chance to get your kids into upper basketball, you will not regret that experience. Mike has continued playing weekly with officers who love to play in one year he played on the police olympics. That was an awesome thing to watch. Recently, you may have seen an article in the mercury news how the warriors organization, after hearing that mike was a lifelong warriors fan, stepped up and gave april warriors fan, stepped up and gave april 4 tickets to attend game seven of the nba finals. We are so amazed and astonished and were jumping for joy. What a wonderful gesture. We will never forget that experience. Even though you did not win. [ laughter ] mikes family are avid off writer broker cycles off ride off road motorcycle riders. He love to write and his abilities both on and off the road were amazing to watch. By the way if you ever get a chance to watch the motor team go through the cone patterns at the san jose airport you will be amazed. Watching the family right together and share their stories around a fire pit and eat mikes campfire Berry Cobbler were good times. Michael had many hobbies. He was a good musician. He played guitar, drums and would even record the lead guitar tracks and keyboard tracks etc. And he would record several voice tracks. Yes, michael could sing. I bet you did not know that. He was even in the valley christian jazz band in junior high. You may have seen some of those pictures. One time they marched in a parade in downtown los gatos. I think he did it because he liked the tall hats. Mike liked working with his hands just like his brother, nate. If mike did not know how to fix something, he would not let that stop him but find Youtube Video and then get everything together so that he could fix it. He loved his tools and even taught himself how to use a welder. Melting solid metal using electricity is really cool. I have to tell you a very funny story. One summer while he was working for a drywall contractor, mike was met by his mom after work and she was barely able to park the car because she was laughing so hard. Mike had had his first spray day at the house project. Every part of mike was covered with drywall. He looked like the abominable snowman and it was all dry and it was just hysterical watching him walk. His eyelashes look like he had applied six layers of white mascara. He pulled down the mirrored visor in the car and staring at is powdery white complexion mike said i know for sure today that my decision to go to college is the right one. [ laughter ] just before mike graduated from Simpson College with a ba degree in business administration, the same degree i got, he called us and told us that he wanted to become a Police Officer. We were thrilled and scared. Or was it scared and thrilled . But we wholeheartedly embraced his journey toward a career in law enforcement. He started his journey by working in retail loss ridge. One day mike was introduced to an iraqi war veteran and at that time a San Jose Police officer officer keffer. He was pertinent in getting mike into the San Jose Police department. Thank you. I love you. After some hiring freezes mike was hired to start the academy in july 2005. At that same time under the leadership of two San Jose Police chaplains, diana and i started what we called the friends and family academy. April joined us as well. Our academy included several experiences that mike had been experiencing in that same week, which is so we would mirror what they were doing so one day we were at the simulator which is used as constant training in which all officers are required to partake. April and i were put into video situations where we needed to choose to draw our weapon and fire on a threatening suspect. This training event had a profound effect on me. April outshot me two 21. Upon graduation mike when into fto Field Training and while i could not be in the car with him, yet, i shared many of his experiences as i have proudly purchased a police scanner, and began to listen regularly. One night dana is awakened by the sound of muffled voices. She was sure they were intruders in the home. She will be absent someone had broken into the home. She was hearing the voices on the ear piece of the scanner. Needless to say this scanner has been banned from the bedroom. Finally, after a time i got to go on some ridealong stew seat mike off close and watch them interact with his fellow officers and the public. And it was amazing. Such professionalism. He had a command presence that was exceptional. Like most of you, his favorite radio traffic to send was to say one in custody. One of the calls that went on one of the first ridealong so, comes over the radio, and we just looked at each other. A wild turkey was attacking children while they were riding their bicycles. [ laughter ] this sounds Something Like a dog might do chasing after you. But a wild turkey . So we get out of the car and mike introduces himself and ask what happens, or the kids okay and wheres the turkey . We are starting to get answers and then the rp points to his side yard in front of his gait. This turkey was enormous. It must have weighed 30 pounds. He called immediately for an animal control officer to come and take care of it. While we were waiting over the next several minutes, officer, after officer came driving up because they wanted to see the turkey. Because this is not a call you can every day. So there was a lot of curiosity spreading amongst the Patrol Officers. I was standing next to the rp who was one of the was a father to one of the children who was picked by this emmetsburg. I will never forget this. The homeowner was becoming increasingly impressed with the Police Department response as by this time there were at least six or seven patrol cars on scene. He says to me, do they normally call up this many officers to seeing . And just then air 2 flew over. I put my hand on his shoulder and said sure, this is the San Jose Police department, they spare no resource to make the public safe. Mike and i laughed all the way back to the car. And the turkey . It was delicious. [ laughter ] i am constantly impressed wait a minute. In his career with mike has a mass a Small Library of commendations. And chief garcia thank you for sharing those. This is where ordinary citizens who took the time to write a letter to the San Jose Police department which by the way if someone does help you a peacekeeper, write a letter. You have no idea how much it touches them. Ordinary citizens can do this or they can come from the ranks of the pd supervisors or rank staff. We were invited to attend a special dinner were mike and other members of team 64 were given the Outstanding Police duty award. I have seen many of the letters written and i wanted you to all here what was said about team 64 by their then sergeant and now lieutenant, paul joseph. Paul said i am constantly impressed them proud of the hard work that these officers to day in and day out. They truly go beyond the call of duty to serve their community. Without their dogged determination of persistent efforts to identify and apprehend the suspects, there is no telling how many more innocent Community Members would have become victims of this group of hardened gang members. I believe the efforts of the officers of patrol team 64 should be recognized with this welldeserved and aptly named award. Thank you for your dedication, paul, to the city of san jose. He always spoke so highly of you and your leadership. And to the members of team 64, desi, christine, lee, creighton, mike, derek, john, and steve, thank you for your dedication to the city of san jose and to my son, mike. Mike really loved his job. He loved all of you. So lets talk about this for a minute. Heres what i think made you all love mike so much. Truth be told, mike was a very passionate person. His passion for god, his passion for his family, his passion for sports, his passion to be a servant, to help others, and all along the way to make people laugh and smile. This passion is translated into every area of his life. April and the boys are all in. Basketball, all in, riding motorcycles, all in. Music, all in. His passion for protecting and defending the citizens of san jose, totally all in. If you knew my, you would agree, hands down. Diana and i want to say a few words to those of you who are with san jose. Our entire family has been embraced and welcomed into the San Jose Police department family. That happened in 2005. And now, after 11 years, at this time of grief and loss, you are right here for us. Thank you. What a testimony to the character and love that you have for each other. And you are so gracious to extend that to all of mys family today. We know that mys passing is a shocking and stunning event. Its a blow to all of us. And he will be sorely missed. We will get through this. But only if we do it together. As i look out over this remarkable sea of blue, those who stood shoulder to shoulder with our son. You trained and sacrificed to keep our streets safe. We are so grateful. We are all struck by the outpouring of support, tender care for our daughterinlaw and her two boys, words cannot express how sincerely grateful diana and i are for the work of anthony, derek, and morgan, who have walked through every detail with us. It is an impossible dish it is impossible to name all the captains, sergeants and officers that have been sitting on our house to watch over us. Thank you to all of those on the command staff and all of the officers, dispatchers, police wives, those on the keith kelly board and chaplain board and finally to the motorist team and to Academy Class ix. You are an aweinspiring, Amazing Group of people. Thank you for wrapping your arms around us. Now for the promise. If you promise to never forget michael and the passion he exhibited for police work and the love and dedication to family and friends and community, then will you please stand with your feet. [ crying ] so promise, so be it. Please be seated. [ applause ] [ applause ] thank you, tom. I would like to introduce to Sergeant John carr, representing San Jose Police department keith kelley club. Before i start, standing up here reminds me of doing everything which is a very formal affair. It starts like rollcall. We call out your name. It is very articulate and sharp. And all the time if there is anything wrong i get a text on my phone. And it would be mike teasing me or say you need to stand up taller, your hair look really great today. You look like an old man. Just being here reminds me of what mike would do. I have the honor to speak today for two reasons. First mike worked on my shift as a swing Patrol Officer for three years where we became very good friends. Second i am here on behalf of the San Jose Police department keith kelley club an organization that was near and dear to mys heart. The keith kelley club was founded in 1944 and named after the first center San Jose Police officer killed in world war ii. Evolved out of the widows and orphans fund which was established to assist Department Members and their families who are faced with an unexpected crisis and a need for immediate financial assistance. Membership is voluntary. It is open to every employee of the San Jose Police department. Civilians and sworn alike. It depends on the willingness of volunteers to dedicate their time on top of monthly dues. I served on the board of directors and i can tell you the mission of the keith kelley club and mikes mission in life are synonymous. Both exist to serve others, especially in times of crisis. Mike served on the keith kelly board for eight years, four years as a board member and four years as vice president. He volunteered countless hours to make the family members were taking care of. For example after officer Michael Johnson was killed he championed tshirts to help the family. He made sure the officer them okay were provided with food and water. He and his parents helped with the shirt sales afterwards. Mike always made it a point to check on the members and find out who in the family was in need. Mikes parents were always there as well to assist in any capacity. Mike worked on my patrol team when he was finally select to go to motors. We started working together in the summer 2013 on swing shift with the enviable days Office Tuesday wednesday and thursday. For those who do not know we work in the heart of san jose and it is always very busy. It did not take me long to figure out that mike did have a sweet tooth. On those rare nights we were slow, usually on a sunday, we were sent a message over our computer that said ice cream social that was a cute to meet at the foster freeze. It was a good time to meet together as a team, not just to decompress from the never ending calls, but to enjoy each others company. After that shift ended, and we all switch to a different district, the first order of business was to find an ice cream shop that stayed open until at least 10 00 p. M. That stayed open until at least 10 00 p. M. During the workweek i could count on a message from mike. Okay to leave the district to have dinner at my parents house . I would always type back sure, bring cookies. If you have ever had one of diana tran08s cookies, then you know what i am talking about. On other times mike would send out a message out of the blue on the car computer, went to moms, got cookies. That was a signaled that you better get there code 3 before they are all gone. Little did they know, mike would put out a box of cookies for the officers and keep one box for himself. [ laughter ] he must have chuckled to himself as he watched patrol cars make a mad dash while he was munching on his own private stash. I came up with a nickname for mike. I called him the bumblebee. You probably know that aerodynamically its impossible for bumblebees to fly and yet they do. In mikes case time and time again he would do things that most people would consider impossible. One day during our team meeting , the topic of basketball came up. Mike told us he used to play basketball regularly and was on a travel team. Of course we did not leave mike until he showed us on his phone some proof. There was a picture of him driving on the basket beating a much taller defensive player. When we questioned how he was able to accomplish such a feat, he said i have a good low center of gravity. On another occasional working patrol mike made a car stopped on a suspect who took off on foot. The chase was on. Mike stayed right behind the suspect. After about three blocks michael was able to chased the suspect down and take them into custody. Afterwards i asked mike how he was able to keep up with the younger suspect and apprehend him . Mikes response was simple, i wanted to catch him more than he wanted to get away. Professionally, mike wanted nothing more than to be a motor officer. Throughout our time together, mike was either testing for motors, on the wait list for motors, or after being accepted , waiting to join the motors team. I once asked him whats the appeal of motors . Again, mike took out his phone and showed numerous videos of him riding his personal motorcycle, jumping his bike and some well edited videos of his wife and his boys riding together. Mike was a damn good motor officer and he loved to ride whether it was his road bike orest dirtbike on the trail in hollister. When mike finally joined the motors team, i bought his motor pin which he could wear his uniform. I wanted to presented to them in a formal way so i put it in a ring box and i gave it to mike. I told him congratulations, you earned this. Mike opened the box , took a look at the pin and looked at me and says does that mean were married . Typical of mike. [ laughter ] there are several things that made mike so special , not only to me but to so many others. Mike was an officer who could effectively balance work and home. Working swings and always available after shift in the entertainment zone racer enforcement. When i would ask mike about pay jobs, he would always politely decline saying, i need to go home, my family needs be more. His family was everything to him. It was so evident as he talked about them. When i had my son, i would tell him my terrible two stories and he would just simply laugh and say just you wait. Mike mean so much to me because he represents everything i have tried to become. A good, moral person. A loving son and brother. A loyal and dedicated husband and father and a damn good Police Officer. Mike was my friend. And i will miss him every day. He will always be close to my heart and i will always think about what the amazing man he was. Thank you. [ applause ] mike and his classmates spent their time documenting on video their journey to becoming Police Officers. We thought we would let him tell you what he thought about being a Police Officer in his own words. I always wanted to be a Police Officer. I think its something you dream about when you are kid. But for me, once i was in college thats when i really started wanting to become a Police Officer so i got into lost prevention and then got picked up here at san jose. They had a hiring freeze a few years ago so i was kind of put through the ringer and was able to get picked up here once they reopened hiring