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Community mourns loss of CHP officer from Fairfield
Local residents and emergency personnel begin to light candles during a vigil for CHP Officer Kenyon Youngstrom, Wednesday, at Ridgeview Park in Fairfield. Officer Youngstrom, 37, was pronounced dead Wednesday at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where he had been on life support since he was shot in the head during a traffic stop Tuesday morning. (Conner Jay/Daily Republic)
Hundreds from his neighborhood near Ridgeview Park, and throughout the Bay Area, came to remember the life of 37-year-old Youngstrom, a resident of Fairfield, a husband and a father of four children.
Youngstrom had been in critical condition at John Muir Hospital after he was shot Tuesday morning during a traffic stop on Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek.
The suspected assailant, Christopher Boone Lacy, 36, was shot and killed at the scene by Youngstrom’s partner, who saw Youngstrom go down.
At the start of the candlelight vigil, it was announced that Youngstrom was taken off life support Wednesday and died shortly after. The news was met with quiet cries and tears as people clutched their handkerchiefs and candles.
CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a press release that “this is a very sad day for the CHP as well as Californians. Officer Youngstrom was a valued member of the CHP family, a dedicated officer and soldier who gave his life serving the people of California.”
Law enforcement officers including Fairfield Police Chief Walt Tibbet came to offer words of condolences. Local politicians including Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Creek, and Fairfield Mayor Harry Price gave their support.
“We need to push violence aside and put it in its place,” Garamendi said. “(We need) to come to a place of peace and understanding.”
Neighbors from his community showed a huge outpouring of support for his family.
Monica Brown, a neighbor and teacher to his 13-year-old daughter, began crying as she thought of how hard this would be for Youngstrom’s children.
“She’s 13, and she doesn’t have a dad,” Brown said. “You know it’s going to be a huge loss.”
Neighbor and fellow CHP officer Paula Hernandez said the loss hits the law enforcement community especially hard.
“What about the law enforcement officers who do this every day?” Hernandez said. “(The violence) is senseless.”
As it turned dark and the crowd blew out their candles, Solano County Sheriff’s Chaplain Charles Brown reminded everyone of the sacrifices CHP officers make every day.
“It’s because of them we can sleep comfortably in our homes every night,” he said.
Reach Heather Ah San at 427-6977 or hahsan@dailyrepublic.net. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/HeatherMalia.
Heather Ah San
Discussion | 1 comment
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FixFairfield.NetSeptember 06, 2012 - 10:07 am
May a proud member of our community rest in peace. Steven Kays
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