Christine_Devine's Blog

I think it is fair to say the city of Los Angeles has a broken heart.   Our LAPD SWAT team has suffered its first loss of life and we hear he was a darn good man!!

Funeral services will be held next Friday.  If you have never been to a police funeral I can tell you they are beautiful in their formality, tradition, show of support and emotion.  You can bet there will be HUNDREDS of officers from MANY agencies attending.  It is sure to be standing room only with a huge overflow crowd of friends, family, strangers... and a sea of officers in uniform with black bands on their badges.  LAPD SWAT is made up of the best-of-the-best.  Every officer fit and well trained.  (I don't believe I've met Officer Simmons, but I have met many of the LAPD's Metro division officers when I emceed the Baker to Vegas police relay.)  My heart breaks for their loss.  My heart breaks for our city's loss.  My heart breaks for the wife and children of Randall Simmons.  And for his friends, his church and the people he mentored.  

As a long-time reporter, there is no escaping a police funeral sometime in your career.  One of my early assignments at Fox 11 was the death of an L.A. County Deputy Sheriff.  Fox granted me the time to cover this in-depth over several days.   I'll never forgot sitting with the deputy's fiance looking through her photo album.  She was a teacher and they had big plans for a future together.  I can still see her tears.   I wonder how she's doing?

Over the years, I've become friendly with Belinda Gaijda, widow of Steve Gaida and officer gunned down about ten years ago.  I've received her Christmas cards as her life has continued on... tough times and all.   Congratulations Belinda!  I know you had a role in this.   A stretch of freeway was recently named in Officer Steve Gaijda's honor.  

This weekend, I'll be seeing one of my best friends, Cris... a police officer here in the Southland.  Her boyfriend is an officer.   Her father was a cop... her uncle was a cop.  Her brother is military.   Cris can relate to both the Simmons family and Officer Veenstra.   Cris' father was murdered... and to this day his black and white photo hangs on the wall of the family home.  He left behind a pregnant wife and four children.   Several years ago, Cris herself was shot.  Remember that big shootout at the Santa Monica Pier on the 4th of July?  Three officers were shot and two bystanders.  The gunman, a gang member.  His friend, wanted for murder.  Officers had taken position behind the arcade when the gunman burst through a back door holding a hostage and opening fire on police.  I got the call from a girlfriend early in the morning.   Cris had been shot in the arm, there was fear she may lose it.  When I arrived at the hospital Cris was in bed, the bullet still lodged in her arm.  She wasn't taken into surgery for TEN hours... due to more life threatening illness at the hospital. TEN hours!!!!!    Recovery was long and painful.  Cris was fitted with a metal claw that looked like something from The Terminator.   Imagine us on vacation at Lake Havasu.  Cris in a bikini... with that claw!  To this day there is a huge screw in her arm and bad weather causes her uncomfortable sensitivity.   I APPLAUD Cris for fighting back.  For fighting for her job.  She trained hard and returned to work as a police officer.  I think it took a year or two.  I'll never forget Cris' hospital room.  It was OVERFLOWING with flowers.  OVERFLOWING.   Can you believe this lady went back to work... grave yard shift... working alone!

I am always amazed by the hard work and dedication of our good officers.  I trained as a reserve officer and frankly, was scared to death.   We had a drill where we had to go into a make-shift bar at 3am.  My mock officer and I entered the dark building with guns drawn.  Someone ran across the room in the dark.  Someone was inside.  Was he armed?  I have the greatest respect for our officers going into unknown situations.   A second scenario was a domestic violence call.   We sat the wife on the couch, while my partner took the husband outside.  Suddenly, the wife pulled a gun from the crack of the couch.   I'd gotten lazy, took my eyes off of her.  In a real life scenario I could have been shot dead right there.  A third scenario had me search a male suspect for weapons.  The man was HUGE! Probably 6'5".  Looked like an ex-linebacker.  Size alone he could have overpowered me in a second.   My search produced nothing.  But I had failed.  He had a weapon in his shoe under his foot.    Again, an example of how an officer can't miss a thing, get sloppy or lazy.    I realized, law enforcement is not a career for me.  I don't have the courage or strength.  My friend Cris is fearless... and well trained.   How else could  a 5'4" woman work graveyard alone... after being shot?
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Funeral services will be held next week for Los Angeles Police Department SWAT Officer Randy Simmons.    Simmons, 51, is survived by a wife, a 15-year-old son and 13-year-old
daughter.    According to LAPD Chief William Bratton, funeral services will be held
at 11 a.m. Feb. 15 at Crenshaw Christian Faith Dome, 7901 S. Vermont Ave., with
 burial following at Holy Cross Cemetery, 5835 W. Slauson Ave., Culver City. A viewing will be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Holy Christian Fellowship International Church, 225 W. Torrance Blvd., Torrance.

Trust funds have been established in both officer's names through the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union (LAPFC).  To make a donation, please go to: www.lapfcu.org and click on the red square titled "LAPFCU Community Corner."   Donations may also be received by mail:

LAPFCU
Blue Ribbon Trust Fund/ Officer Randal Simmons
Acct. 2030077-product code S4.12
16150 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA  91410
(877) 695-2732


LAPFCU
Blue Ribbon Trust Fund/ Officer James Veenstra
Acct. 2030077-product code S4.13
16150 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA  91410
(877) 695-2732

Contributions in their honor may also be made to:

Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation
www.lapmf.org   (213) 847-4239

Los Angeles Police Foundation
 www.lapolicefoundation.org  (213) 489-4636

For additional information, please call Media Relations Section at (213) 485-3586.