GREENSBORO, N.C. — Thank you for joining us for our coverage of the funeral service for Greensboro Police Sergeant Dale Nix. You can rewatch our coverage here.
LIVE UPDATES:
4:25 p.m. -- Family releases statement:
“On behalf of our entire family, we want to express our gratitude for all the love, support and heartfelt gestures in honor of Dale. Thank you for sharing your memories of him and for honoring his legacy of service to this community in such meaningful ways. We thank the community again and ask for continued prayers.”
4:10 p.m. -- Sgt. Dale Nix arrives at Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home. He will be laid to rest at the cemetery there.
Gov. Roy Cooper also shared remarks after attending the funeral service. He said we need to do more to keep our communities and officers safe.
4 p.m. -- The procession is making its way to Sgt. Nix's final resting place.
3:50 p.m. -- There is a 21-gun salute and 'Taps' is played.
3:35 p.m. -- Attendees are filing out of the church and everyone is getting ready for Sgt. Nix to make the journey to his final resting place. Coverage on WFMY News 2 continues.
3:30 p.m. -- Pastor Carr gives the closing message.
3:25 p.m. -- Officers hand the American flag that was draped over Sgt. Nix's casket to his wife.
3:15 p.m. -- Assistant City Manager Nathaniel Davis delivers the policeman's prayer.
3:10 p.m. -- Chief John Thompson is speaking now.
2:55 p.m. -- Pastor Mike Carr is giving the sermon.
2:30 p.m. -- Several Greensboro officers are speaking about Sgt. Dale Nix.
Officer Carolina Holliday shared that a veteran officer just happened to be at the Sheetz when Sgt. Nix was killed.
"All of us have a hard time understanding this tragedy," she said.
I have heard people ask, where was God? Or why did this tragedy happen?
I can't answer the why. But I can tell you with all certainty that God was there.
He sent an earthly angel in the name of off-duty officer Cameron Peach, and an EMS medic just filling up with gas.
Cameron is a veteran officer with almost his whole career on our SWAT team, and many years on the traffic unit where he has seen and responded to some of the most tragic and critical incidents. God had prepared Cameron for this moment in time.
He was there by Dale's side in a matter of seconds. Dale had a friend and in his last moments, he was not alone. Cameron later told me he and his wife weren't even intentionally at that Sheetz.
They had gone in search of something at a different Sheetz and just so happened to be at the Sheetz and search of that item. You will never convince me God didn't send Cameron and his wife to that Sheetz at that time for that purpose," she said.
2:20 p.m. -- Catherine Johnson, Director of the Family Justice Center, is speaking now.
2:10 p.m. -- Sonya Desai with the Family Justice Center is speaking about Sgt. Nix now. She worked with him for several years.
2 p.m. -- The funeral service is underway at Westover Church. It is a packed house.
12:40 p.m. -- The caisson carrying the body of Sgt. Nix makes the final leg of the journey to the church.
12:15 p.m. -- Law enforcement officers stand at attention as they await the hearse carrying Sgt. Nix.
12 p.m. -- The hearse carrying the body of Sgt. Nix has left the funeral home and is making its way to Westover Church.
Remembering Sgt. Dale Nix
Funeral program and speakers
- Prelude
- Procession of pastor and family
- Hymn: 'How Great Thou Art' -- Lynn Gordon
- Greeting/Word of Grace -- Pastor Mike Carr
- Psalm 23 -- Pastor Mike Carr
- Reflections -- Sonya Desai, Catherine Johnson, Greensboro Police Honor Guard, Greensboro Police Family Victim Unit
- Anthem: 'Here I am, Lord' -- Oak Ridge United Methodist Church Choir
- Message -- Pastor Mike Carr
- Remarks from the Chief -- Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson
- Presentation of Flag -- Greensboro Police Honor Guard
- Final Call: End of Watch
- Policeman's Prayer -- Assistant City Manager Nathaniel Davis
- Hymn: 'It is well' -- Lynn Gordon
- Closing Prayer/Blessing -- Pastor Mike Carr
Background
Sgt. Nix died Dec. 30 when police said he was fatally shot while trying to stop a crime at the Sheetz gas station off Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax. Police said two men stole beer while a woman waited in their car. Sgt. Nix was off-duty, sitting at one of the tables outside. Investigators said Sgt. Nix saw what was happening, confronted the suspects, and that's when one of them shot him several times. Police arrested the suspects in Winston-Salem the next day. The 18-year-old accused of pulling the trigger faces a murder charge. The two other suspects were charged with accessory after the fact.
On January 3, multiple agencies assisted in the escort for the body of Sgt. Nix. His body was driven from the medical examiner's office in Raleigh to Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home in Greensboro.
Procession
The Hanes Lineberry funeral home is where Nix's casket will be moved from and returned to his final resting place at the end of the day.
The funeral procession will cause some roads to be closed. Drivers should look for detours. Muirs Chapel Road will be closed to traffic as the processional makes its way to Westover Church.
While most of the Greensboro Police Department will be attending the funeral this afternoon, they will have other assisting agencies in the city for those who need help. They ask you do not hesitate to call 911 if you need help with an emergency.
West Gate City Boulevard and 1-73 North will also be closed around that time. Drivers should expect a heavy police presence.
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