A brief yet solemn "pass and review" ceremony brought traffic to a momentary halt in front of the Honolulu Police Department headquarters — and tears to the eyes of many of the several hundred police officers who lined the sidewalk Wednesday to offer a last salute to fallen officer Eric Fontes.
The officers, wearing white gloves, saluted solemnly as a procession, including the hearse carrying his casket, drove up Beretania Street.
Fontes, 45, was killed when he was struck by a pickup truck along the shoulder of Farrington Highway on Sept. 13.
As the motorcade from Borthwick Mortuary approached, HPD supervising police radio dispatcher Harold Naone radioed out on all district channels and frequencies "Officer Fontes, what is your 10-20 (location)?" Maj. Ray Ancheta, Fontes’ commander at the Kapolei station where he worked, then responded over the radio that he was 10-1, police code for "end of watch."
Capt. Ryan Borges, who was Fontes’ partner in a prison ministry program at the Federal Detention Center, said the ceremony was moving for him.
"It was a bittersweet ending, but it’s a start of a new life for Eric," Borges said. "It was wonderful to see all the brothers and sisters out here paying tribute to one of Honolulu’s finest."
Officer Aaron Miura, who works out of the Alapai station, had to wipe away tears after the ceremony despite not knowing Fontes personally.
"It’s a brotherhood," Miura said. "We share each other’s joys and pains, ups and downs in life. I’m sure (Fontes’ death) touched each person here in some way."
Cpl. Ross Maeda brought daughter Paige, 9, to the ceremony to share the experience and let her see for herself how "being a police ohana, everybody supports each other."
After passing headquarters, the procession wound its way to the airport, where a police honor guard loaded the casket onboard a plane to Molokai, where Fontes was born and is to be buried Saturday.
The plane was met on Molokai by members of the Maui Police Department’s Molokai District, who helped unload the casket.
An Oahu service was held Friday.
