Police from across the state and the county will remember fallen San Jose Police Officer Michael Johnson Thursday during a memorial ceremony at the SAP Center.
Johnson was gunned down on March 24 when 57-year-old Scott Dunham, who was suicidal, fired a rifle from his balcony on Senter Road.
The funeral service will start with a huge procession from Los Gatos and through the South Bay before arriving in San Jose.
San Jose police said standard security procedures will be in place at the SAP Center. Arena staff will be checking bags and purses as people enter, officials said.
Friends and co-workers, including those who were part of a special response team at San Jose Regional Medical Center, are bracing for the service. They hope the service will remind people Johnson was more than a uniform.
"He was a person -- he had a family, he had a background," said Kevin Greer, an EMS liaison. "His job is what he loved to do, but he was a person."
The California Highway Patrol will use 45 motorcycle officers to guide the procession from Los Gatos through Campbell and San Jose -- as well as afterwards from SAP Center to Oak Hill Cemetery in South San Jose.
CHP Spokesman Ross Lee said motorists and residents in the area should expect "rolling" street closures during the ceremony.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese spent Wednesday with the Johnson family and said they are satisfied and grateful.
"There are officers that are on duty 24-7 at the funeral home and they expressed a great deal of gratitude for this public outpouring of support," Cortese said.
The funeral will also bring in top state officials, including California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Law enforcement agencies from around the country will also be in attendance.
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In addition to Thursday's funeral, there are several other smaller tributes including at San Jose Regional Medical Center, where all the emergency room lights are blue.
San Jose police said every single law enforcement agency is offering to help staff city streets on Thursday.
The memorial service for Johnson at the SAP Center is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
In addition, Owen Nolan, a former San Jose Shark who is a part owner of the Brittania Arms, is hosting a fundraiser on Thursday at the restaurant, located at 5027 Almaden Expressway.
The San Jose Police Officers’ Association is helping raise fund to provide financial assistance to Johnson's family. Checks can be mailed payable to the SJPOACF at: 1151 N. 4th St., San Jose, CA 95112 or online.
