Dozens of Texas police flood middle school football stadium to cheer on the son of an officer fatally shot in the line of duty
- Around 50 uniformed officers from across the South Texas region traveled to McAllen, Texas on Saturday to watch Joaquin Espericueta play football
- It was Joaquin debut with the Cathey Cobras, the first game he’s played in since his father Mission Police Officer Jose Espericueta, was killed in the line of duty
- Joaquin and Jose used to bond over watching and playing football
- The slain officer’s colleagues vowed to be there for his son after his death
- Joaquin served as honorary captain at the game and his team won
A slain Texas police officer was recently robbed of the chance to see his son’s middle school football debut, so his brothers and sisters in blue did their best to fill his shoes.
Around 50 uniformed officers from across the South Texas region traveled to McAllen, Texas on Saturday to watch Joaquin Espericueta and his Cathey Middle School football seventh-grade team in action.
Joaquin’s dad, Mission Police Department Corporal Jose ‘Speedy’ Espericueta, was shot and killed on June 20 after responding to another officer’s call for assistance about a local mother who said her son had shot at her car, according to CNN.
The officer arrived to find the suspect, Juan Carlos Chapa Jr., 33, who ran from Jose before turning and firing multiple shots at him.
A slain Texas police officer was recently robbed of the chance to see his son’s middle school football debut, so his fellow siblings in blue did their best to fill his shoes
Seventh-grade Cathey Middle School football player Joaquin Espericueta (right) served as an honorary captain for his team’s game against the LBJ Knights on Saturday
An estimated 50 uniformed officers from across the South Texas region traveled to McAllen, Texas on Saturday to watch Joaquin play
Jose and other officers at the scene returned fire. Both Chapa and Jose were shot and later pronounced dead at separate hospitals.
Jose was the first Mission Police Department officer killed on the job in 40 years, according to the Washington Post.
His death devastated his son Joaquin, who used to bond with his dad while watching and playing football.
Jose had been looking forward to watching his son’s first game at Cathey Middle School.
Joaquin’s dad, Mission Police Department Corporal Jose ‘Speedy’ Espericueta (left), was shot and killed on June 20 after responding to another officer’s call for assistance
Joaquin and his dad while watching and playing football
Mission Police Chief Robert Dominguez said, ‘It was important for us as a law enforcement family to support Joaquin on his special day of his first football game’
More than four dozen members of the Rio Grande Valley community filled the stands at the stadium in the fallen officer’s place.
‘We made a promise to the family. We were always going to be there for special events. And today, this is his first football game,’ Officer Javier Lara told CBS News.
‘It was important for us as a law enforcement family to support Joaquin on his special day of his first football game,’ added Mission Police Chief Robert Dominguez.
‘This was another first in his life, and we wanted to be there.’
The Cathey Cobras defeated their opponents, the LBJ Knights, by a wide margin. Joaquin served as an honorary captain for the game.