A Grateful Community Mourns
This article originally appeared in the Friday June 28, 2019 issue of the Progress Times.
Thousands lined the roadside as a seemingly endless procession of police and first responder units passed and thousands more filled a memorial service to honor a fallen hero.
Corporal Jose Luis “Speedy” Espericueta was killed in the line of duty on Thursday, June 20th in Mission, Tx. Speedy, as he was called by his coworkers, was the very definition of a public servant.
Whether you knew him personally or just knew of him, he was the embodiment of what this wonderful community stands for: always lending a helping hand and doing it with a smile. This was evident in the outpouring of support that has been shown since that fateful day. The city of Mission and its citizens will forever be in his debt.
Our community is indebted to Speedy and every other officer that puts on their vest, uniform, and badge before every shift. You see, each and everyone of these selfless individuals follows this routine with the knowledge that they may not make it home after that shift.
Every call can carry an inherent danger that is not always apparent, and yet, these officers take the safety of their community and citizens and put it at the forefront. Their own safety takes a secondary role as they rush to their duty.
That is what Corporal Espericueta did that day. He rushed to ensure that he was keeping our citizens safe while his own safety was at risk. He did it without a second thought because if you knew him, you’d know that this is what he was built for.
His willingness to serve his fellow citizen was unrivaled and will not be forgotten. He will be remembered as a hero to our community who put on the badge and uniform daily.
He was the type of hero that his fellow officers knew they could count on, and the hero that friends and family were honored to have in their life. Corporal Espericueta was a hero that the community he served was blessed to have.
To each and every officer that puts themselves at their community’s service: a sincere and heartfelt thank you.
Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed. To Corporal Espericueta’s family: no words can ever replace the loved one you lost or make the pain subside, but please know that his community is eternally grateful.
Corporal Jose Luis “Speedy” Espericueta will forever be a hero to the city of Mission. Rest easy, sir. Thank you for loving your community as much as it loved you.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
