Funeral To Be Held For Cathedral City Officer Killed During Pursuit

CATHEDRAL CITY (CBS) —  Funeral services will be held Friday for Cathedral City Police Department Officer Jermaine Gibson, who died in a crash during a pursuit.

Gibson, a 28-year-old former Marine, was killed last Friday night when his patrol car slammed into a palm tree while he was chasing a stolen car with two people inside, police said. Gibson was a married father of a 4-week-old child.

Services will begin at 10 a.m. Friday at Southwest Community Church, 77701 Fred Waring Drive, according to Cathedral City police Lt. Chuck Robinson.

Burial will follow at 2:15 p.m. at Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd.

Police have asked that the public line both sides of Washington Street between Fred Waring and Country Club drives shortly after noon, when a procession will transport Gibson's body to the funeral home.

"The Cathedral City Police Department and Gibson family encourages everyone in the Coachella Valley communities to come out and show their support and respect for this fallen hero," Cathedral City police Lt. Chuck Robinson said.

Traffic will be slowed on several streets Friday while the officers escort Gibson's casket to the two services.

Between 9:30 and 10 a.m., law enforcement officers will lead a small procession to Southwest Community Church. The procession will begin at Da Vall Drive and East Ramon Road and head east on Ramon before entering Interstate 10.

The procession will exit at Washington Street and head south to the church.

After the funeral service, as many as 1,000 members of law enforcement, friends and family will take part in another vehicle procession to the Riverside cemetery, traveling northbound on Washington Street to Interstate 10, California Highway Patrol Officer Ramon Perez said.

Perez advised motorists to seek alternate routes during the procession, which will occur from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Neighboring law enforcement and fire response agencies have volunteered to provide coverage for Cathedral City late Thursday until early Saturday to allow the entire department to attend the services, Robinson said.

Gibson, who lived in Beaumont, had been with the department for about 18 months and previously worked as a reserve officer with the Desert Hot Springs Police Department. He served two tours of duty in Iraq while in the Marine Corps and was awarded the Purple Heart.

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