Hundreds of police officers and their families came together with everyday citizens in Grand Prairie Friday night to remember Officer Brandon Tsai, killed during a high-speed chase Monday night.
"We're all brokenhearted. We'll get through it together,” Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen said.
The crowd gathered in front of the public safety building and held cellphones in the air with the lights turned on.
Officer Tsai's family listened to the tributes privately from inside.
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"Brandon will be missed,” said Officer J.J. Wallace, president of the Grand Prairie Police Officers Association. “It's with a heavy heart I tell you we miss you, my brother. We've got you from here. Rest well."
Chief Daniel Scesney spoke about Tsai’s girlfriend and her young daughter, who pinned on Tsai’s badge when he became an officer in Grand Prairie. He transferred from Los Angeles.
"Sacrifice is not an abstract concept and it's something every cop's family understands all too well,” the chief said.
That includes the family of Tsai's backup officer Monday night during the chase, whose wife and mother were also at the vigil.
"And our sympathy for the officer who did lose his life,” the officer’s wife said. “He was a great guy. My husband loved him."
Tsai's colleagues called him a cop's cop who loved a good meal. His favorite was Mexican.
They also say he liked helping citizens and finding criminals just as much.
"He had a keen knowledge of hunting bad guys,” Wallace said. “We like to refer to that in our profession as cops. There is a distinction between police officers and cops. Make no mistake, Brandon was a cop."
