Ricardo Lizarraga, LAPD officer was 31

This should have been posted on February 20.

That was the day that Ricardo Lizarraga became the first Los Angeles police officer killed on duty since 1998, and the first Newton Division officer since 1945. His wife Joyce survives him. Contributions can be made out to the Blue Ribbon Trust Account and sent to the LAPD Newton Station, 3400 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles 90011.

Lizarraga went to Hamilton High and Santa Monica College before joining the Los Angeles Police Department in September 2001. He was shot while responding to a domestic disturbance call in South L.A. A suspect was arrested and died after trying to hang himself in jail.

Officer Lizarraga's funeral on Friday was the first of an active duty police officer to be held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels downtown. Cardinal Roger Mahony, who spoke, told the mayor and other city officals in attendance that public safety needs to be given special budget attention. "There is no question we need more police on the streets," Mahony said. "We can count more murders here than soldiers who have died in an active war in Iraq. Something is terribly wrong."