Hundreds of grieving officers line the streets to pay tribute to slain Detective Joseph Seals

A sea of blue greeted mourners outside a New Jersey church on Tuesday morning as hundreds gathered for the funeral of a detective shot dead in a terrifying gun battle in the city last week.

Officers arrived on foot, horseback and on motorcycles in abundance to pay tribute to veteran officer and father-of-five Joseph Seals outside of Saint Aedan’s Church this morning.

Undeterred by the cold and rain, a troop of bagpipers walked in front of Seals’ hearse and a riderless black horse marched behind it, with its vacant saddle covered by a white blanket with Detective Seals’ name embroidered on it.

A platoon of officers also walked alongside the black vehicle, with the only sound heard being that of the steady drum beat guiding their steps.

Silence descended on the Jersey City streets at around 10am as the hearse carrying the Stars and Stripes-draped casket of Seals made its half-mile journey from the McLaughlin Funeral Home to the church where his funeral Mass was held

A troop of bagpipers walked in front of Seals’ hearse and a riderless black horse marched behind it, with its vacant saddle sat atop a white blanket with Detective Seals’ name embroidered on it

Seals, a 13-year veteran of the police department was murdered last week at Bay View Cemetery following a confrontation with two murder suspects, who would later go on to murder three others during an hours-long shooting spree.

The 40-year-old has been remembered as a loyal, hardworking civil servant and dedicated family man. He is survived by his wife Laura and their five children: Hailey, Adrian, Ethan, Isabel and Ivanna.

All along Bergen Avenue, columns of officers holding flags and ceremonial rifles lined the sidewalks for as long as the eye could see Tuesday. A flag, said to be three stories tall, was also suspended from a crane about the procession.