Police from across nation attend CHP officer's funeral

Nine days after he was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Alamo, California Highway Patrol Officer Kenyon Youngstrom was laid to rest following a memorial service held in Vacaville.

Gov. Jerry Brown attended.

Thousands gathered on Thursday to pay tribute to the fallen 37-year-old officer, who had served with the CHP for seven years.

"I saw law enforcement officers from all across California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico, Montana and as far away as New York making their way to the funeral," said Jolyn McDonald, who lives in Vacaville near the Mission Church where the services were held. "There were thousands of them."

Youngstrom, married and the father of four, ages 17, 13, 10 and 4, was killed by Christopher Boone Lacy, 36, of Rancho Tehama, at 8:20 a.m. Sept. 4 on Interstate 680 in the Bay Area.

After Lacy shot Youngstrom with a handgun, he was fatally wounded by Youngstrom's partner, Officer Tyler Carlton.

Youngstrom died on Sept. 5 after being taken off life support.

During the memorial services, it was noted that after Youngstrom gave his life in the line of duty, he continued to give his life for others.

Youngstrom's organs and body tissues were donated to the nonprofit California Transplant Donor Network, and officials said they have been used to save the lives of four recipients.

Among the speakers at the memorial service were Carlton, Younstrom's oldest son, Alex, his niece, Storm Youngstrom, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow and CHP Chief Theresa Becher.

As reported in the Contra Costa Times, Youngstrom was remembered for his goofy smile, eclectic musical taste, addiction to Band-Aids, duct tape, fantasy football and fast food, and had a grin that could disarm the crustiest of colleagues.

The father of four was remembered as a God-fearing Christian who served his church and spread the Gospel to family and friends. He was remembered as a hero, who gave his life for others.

A radio call concluded the service — Code 10-10, the end of watch.

"We are still trying to understand the motive behind this tragic incident," said Jimmy Lee, spokesman for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department.

Lacy, a computer software engineer who had lived in Rancho Tehama for less than two years, was said to be smart, but mentally troubled, and a loner.

He was in the Bay Area because he had been hired as a software engineer by Mindsource Inc., according to reports.

"He seemed to be a really nice guy, easy to get along with as far as neighbors go and jogged almost every day," said Lacy's neighbor Gary Zimmer. "He said he was going to the Bay Area on Tuesday, something about a new job. He left here around 5 a.m."

Lee said Youngstrom had pulled over a woman on the highway because she was using her cell phone while driving, and was in the process of giving her a ticket when Youngstrom received a call of a traffic accident.

Unable to find the reported accident, Youngstrom cleared the detail, and agreed to meet his partner on southbound 680 to handle a large dead deer that was on the side of the highway, Lee said.

Youngstrom was notified that his partner was making a traffic stop on a green Jeep that had an obstructed license plate, and it appears Youngstrom motioned the Jeep to pull onto the shoulder of the freeway behind his patrol vehicle.

"According to dash cam video, Officer Youngstrom walked up to the driver's side window of the Jeep and had a very short conversation with the driver, Christopher Lacy, who then pulled out a gun and shot the officer," Lee said.

Youngstrom's partner then fired several shots through the rear window of the Jeep, killing Lacy.

A loaded semi-automatic handgun, along with a shoulder holster containing two loaded magazines and additional ammunition, and a knife, was found in Lacy's vehicle.

Lacy's residence was searched and a number of items, including computers, were seized.

Attempts to contact the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department for more details were unsuccessful.