ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis community is mourning St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer David Lee, who lost his life while responding to an accident on Interstate 70.
A memorial for Officer David Lee at the North Patrol Division is growing as emotions are running high. The community is honoring a devoted officer, husband, and father.
5 On Your Side at down with his family, who are not only remembering his life but also pushing for greater safety measures for officers in the line of duty.
David Lee started working as a police officer in north St. Louis City 18 years ago, around the same time he married Tonya.
“I'm gonna miss him dearly, because he was the yin to my yang, my best friend," she said.
She brought our reporter Paula Vasan into the same living room where they’d talk for hours, clutching a stuffed teddy bear he gave her for Valentine's Day.
“He was my partner, my other half. One half of my heart, and I'm the other half of his heart," she said.
Lee's son Khalil shared memories of a father who loved his job, basketball, and guiding him through life.
"He was somebody who I could talk to about anything," said Khalil. “He's the reason why I chose to go to school for criminal justice and do what I'm doing now.”
David's family said he was a man who put his family first.
Tonya recalls their last night together: they prayed as they always did, and he said something she’ll never forget.
“It was weird," she said. "He laid beside me in the bed, and he put his hand on my thigh, and he said, 'thank you for everything.' And I said, Oh, Bae, thank you for everything. He said, 'no, seriously, thank you for everything.' And I didn't know this was my husband saying bye to me.”
She also said her husband often talked about his concerns over the dangers of I-70, where he was killed Sunday morning by a driver charged with being under the influence of alcohol.
“I feel like it's unacceptable and it could have been prevented," she said.
“I feel like someone such as MODOT, or another cruiser or patrol car should have several feet between stopping for an accident. Therefore, the young man possibly could have been slowed down early on before he got to my husband," she said.
The family of Officer Lee hope his death will serve as a wake-up call, pushing for better protections for officers. His funeral is scheduled October 5.