ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department announced funeral arrangements Tuesday for Officer David Lee, who died Sunday after being struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Interstate 70.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Friendly temple Missionary Baptist Church, located at 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. Funeral service will follow at 1 p.m.
There will be no interment per the family's request.
"The City of St. Louis changed on Sunday. The SLMPD lost a dedicated police officer and beloved colleague. Police Officer David Lee, a devoted husband and father of two, died in the line of duty at the age of 44," St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy said in a statement announcing the arrangements. "I met with Officer Lee’s family and reassured them that the men and women of SLMPD will always be by their side. The Lee family is grateful for the outpouring of support. We will never forget Officer Lee. His sacrifice is a guiding light for each of us – who now carry on his mission to serve and protect."
Lee, an 18-year veteran of the force, was hit by a car at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday while placing flares at the scene of a crash involving an off-duty Ferguson firefighter. He was rushed into emergency surgery, but later died at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital.
The man accused of striking Lee, Ramon Arnaldo Chavez-Rodriguez, is facing multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated and speeding.