TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A public funeral is planned for a Florida sheriff’s deputy who was killed Monday night when a man fleeing from authorities rammed into his patrol car the day before his planned retirement, officials said.
The service for Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Cpl. Brian LaVigne is set for Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, which is near Tampa, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
Visitation is scheduled for 10 a.m. that day, sheriff’s officials said. After the service, guests will be directed outside the church for a special ceremony and procession.
The church is one of the largest in Florida, with seating for 5,000 people, according to the Tampa Bay Times. It has hosted funerals for slain law enforcement officers in the past.
A news release said face coverings will be required for the funeral even though masks are not required at the church as long as social distancing is being practiced.
Travis Zachary Garrett, 28, has been ordered held on a murder charge even though he remained in the hospital where he is being treated for injuries sustained in the crash, the sheriff’s office said.
LaVigne had worked for 30 years with the sheriff’s office and had one shift remaining before his retirement. He was married and had two children, one of whom is a Hillsborough Sheriff’s deputy.
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