Notebook: Westfield pays tribute to fallen police officer Jose Torres

Thousands of law enforcement officers and members of the public are expected to attend funeral services today for Torres.

WESTFIELD -- Thousands of law enforcement officers and members of the public are expected to attend funeral services today for officer Jose Torres, a 27-year veteran of the city's police force who was killed in an accident at a construction site last Thursday.

Below, a compilation of notes from our reporters in the field today, as well as links to other coverage and tributes shared via social media.

A live video stream of the service is available here.

Refresh your browser to see the latest updates below.

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2:47 p.m.: Bagpipes play as police contingents file out of the cemetery, rivers of black and gray uniforms filling the paths.

Then, a snare drum plays as the pipe band leaves.

We'll end our "Notebook" updates here. Further reports will be filed to MassLive.com this afternoon and evening, and in Wednesday's edition of The Republican.

2:44 p.m.: Over a public address system, a simulated police dispatch call declares officer Torres "out of service," and thanks him for 27 years on the force.

The crowd begins to disperse.

2:34 p.m.: A helicopter flies overhead. A chorus of bagpipes plays "Amazing Grace".

2:33 p.m.: Gunshots from a final salute -- followed by "Taps" -- echo through the cemetery.

2:30 p.m.: The large crowd in the cemetery joins in prayer.

2:27 pm.: Officers place the casket at the grave site.

As the burial service gets underway, Ted LaBorde offers a further summary of the funeral service: Westfield police officer Jose Torres recalled fondly by colleagues, family at funeral

2:19 p.m.: Bagpipes play as the hearse approaches the grave site.

2:15 p.m.: The hearse is arriving at the cemetery.

2:11 p.m.: The Westfield police cruiser that Torres drove on patrols -- number 21 -- is making a pass through the cemetery.

2:05 p.m.: The Republican's Ted LaBorde reports that the 500 seats available in Dever Auditorium at Parenzo Hall for the funeral service were full, with standing room only. Another 500 seats of overflow seating were made available at nearby Scanlon Hall.

2:04 p.m.: WWLP has resumed its live coverage.

1:52 p.m.: It appears the live video stream of the burial service may resume shortly.

1:45 p.m.: A photo from John Suchocki, taken during the service, shows a full Dever Auditorium at Parenzo Hall:

1:38 p.m. "It was great," Kathy Lauber, a friend who has known the Torres family for 19 years said after the service. "That and more. No matter what you say about the guy, it's not enough. He was great, he was really trying to turn this town around, and he was doing it." She added: "He loved his job. He loved his family. He loved his friends. It's like he was grateful that God brought him here and put him in the position that he was."

1:36 p.m.: Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. was among those in attendance at Parenzo Hall. "It was very moving," Ashe said of the service. "I think the spirit of Jose was so present there."

1:29 p.m.: We're receiving reports that the funeral procession has been delayed by an accident on Western Avenue involving a state police cruiser and a city police vehicle.

1:25 p.m. John Suchocki files this photo of members of the Torres family, including Jose's wife, Kara, and sons Jay and Christopher, leave Parenzo Hall following the funeral service. Streaming video of the burial service will be available once family members arrive at the cemetery.

1:18 p.m.: From staff photographer John Suchocki, a photo of Torres' casket leaving Parenzo Hall:

1:16 p.m.: The Republican's Ted LaBorde offers a summary of the funeral service:

Patrolman Jose Torres was eulogized Tuesday by his wife, friends and colleagues as a dedicated husband and family man who lived life to the fullest.

Funeral services at Westfield State University drew thousands of family, colleagues and well-wishers.

Dignitaries included Gov. Deval L. Patrick, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, Bishop Timothy McDonnell of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, State Police Chaplain William Hamilton, former Westfield Mayor Richard K. Sullivan and Westfield State President Evan S. Dobelle.

Torres’ wife Kara called him her “best friend, the love of my life. He was a perfect husband, father, brother, and I will miss him forever.”

Mayor Daniel Knapik said “Jose’s commitment to family and the city of Westfield made him the very best. His spirit will forever be on patrol on our streets.”

1:05 p.m.: A photo from @GeorgeGraham413 at the close of the service at Parenzo Hall:

12:58 p.m.: WWLP has posted a slideshow of family photos shown during the memorial service:

Officer Torres Slideshow from the Family

12:51 p.m.: Another update from Jim Kinney:

Massachusetts State Police and others are still arriving at the Pine Hill Cemetery where Torres will be buried.

Among the mourners include and eight-man color guard from American Legion post 124 in Westfield. Torres, a U.S. Army veteran, was a long time member of the post.

“He was a gentleman in every way. It is still hard to believe this is happening,” said Gary Plumley ,who is a member of the honor guard.

On top on the grave stone someone has placed a souvenir Red Sox baseball. The top of the burial vault is etched with images Torres with his family.

12:48 p.m.: The service at Parenzo Hall is coming to a close.

12:43 p.m.: The Republican's Jim Kinney calls in this update from Pine Hill Cemetery:

Hundreds of police officers are now gathering at the grave site for Patrolman Jose Torres. There are officers from nearby communities such as Chicopee, Holyoke, Southwick, West Springfield and Suffield, Conn. There are also groups from the Vermont and Rhode Island State Police, the University of Massachusetts as well as an Air Force delegation, and numerous fire departments.

“Police work is a lot more than writing tickets and the day-to-day work people see. Police have to deal with a lot of things most people never have to deal with,” said Stephen O’Brien, chief of police in Lenox.

“It’s a brotherhood and we are here to honor a brother officer,” he said.

12:36 p.m.: Nunez recalls Torres' sense of humor -- characterized by Torres showing up at the police chief's home for a 2 a.m.-caroling session during a recent Christmas season.

12:33 p.m.: A total of 700 troopers and other officers are in attendance today, according to the Massachusetts State Police. Below, a photo from Don Treeger as officers arrive at the cemetery:

12:31 p.m.: Westfield police Capt. Hipolito Nunez, who grew up with Torres: Most of all, Torres was a man who loved life, his family, and the community he served.

12:26 p.m.: About 15 relatives of Jose Torres are in town from Fall River for the service. William Colon, pictured at right, told @GeorgeGraham413 that Torres "was a good uncle." Colon said he learned of the accident while watching a television news broadcast in Fall River.

"I was shocked. I was watching the news. My wife and I were hoping it wasn't him," Colon said.

12:22 p.m.: Kara Torres: "Jose had a heart of gold, and treated everyone he met with kindness."

12:20 p.m.: Kara Torres: Jose nurtured one son's passion for acting, another son's passion for baseball.

12:18 p.m.: Kara Torres, widow of officer Torres: "We were each other's best friends. He greeted me every morning with a kiss and a hug, followed by the words 'I love you.'"

12:14 p.m.: Mayor Knapik, voice breaking with emotion: "Take comfort knowing that Jose's spirit will be forever on patrol on our streets, keeping us safe."

12:11 p.m.: Mayor Daniel Knapik calls turnout at Monday's wake a "testament to the great life and excellent career he lived."

12:09 p.m.: Father Brian McGrath of St. Mary's in Westfield, delivering opening remarks for the service, calls the legacy Torres leaves -- "to serve with compassion".

11:59 a.m.: The service begins with the processional hymn "On Eagle's Wings". Lyrics are available here.

11:56 a.m.: The service should begin shortly.

11:50 a.m.: From John Suchocki, officer Torres' casket arrives at Parenzo Hall:

11:24 a.m.: Staff photographer Don Treeger (@newspix100) files this photo of the vault cover, which includes a number of pictures of Torres at work as a Westfield police officer:

11:17 a.m.: At right, a photo from John Suchocki of Gov. Deval Patrick arriving at Parenzo Hall.

11:13 a.m.: A report from Jim Kinney on Western Avenue:

More than 30 motorcycles led the funeral procession as it approached the Westfield State University campus shortly after 11 a.m.

The American and Puerto Rican flags were in display cases on the hood of the hearse.

The procession took more than five minutes to pass the silent onlookers along Western Avenue.

The crowd included Boy Scouts from Troop 109 at St. Mary’s Church, which was Torres’ home parish.

11:07 a.m.: Streaming video -- a "pool" feed from WWLP -- is now live on MassLive.com. Click here to watch. (WGGB is reporting, via Twitter, that the service may not actually start for another 20 minutes.)

11:02 a.m.: We've compiled the photos @GeorgeGraham413 and John Suchocki have filed from Westfield so far -- view the gallery here.

10:57 a.m.: Staff photographer John Suchocki files this photo from Parenzo Hall:

10:49 a.m.: A pair of photos from @GeorgeGraham413 as the procession got under way a few minutes ago:

10:41 a.m.: The procession has begun, @GeorgeGraham413 reports.

10:36 a.m.: @GeorgeGraham413 reports a long line of police motorcycles parked outside the Firtion Adams funeral home, with the procession not yet under way.

10:30 a.m.: As they waited for the funeral procession, Peter Sawtelle and Neil MacKinnon -- shown in the photo at right -- offered their thoughts to @GeorgeGraham413.

"He left the world a little better than when he came in," MacKinnon said.

"He is a great guy; he would do anything for anybody," Sawtelle said.

10:22 a.m.: The Republican's Jim Kinney calls in this report from Western Avenue:

By 10 a.m., people were gathering along Western Avenue, the route of the funeral procession. Among them was Krista M. Raymond and her children, Keith, 5, and Kenzie, 7. Raymond, of Westfield, said she went to high school with Torres’ widow.

Also in the crowd was Miriam Masso, 28, of Westfield. She said her family has known officerTorres for years. She said, “He was a tremendously kind and caring officer. We lost one of the best -- we lost the best."

Earlier, six motorcycle officers from the Westfield Police Department escorted the family from their home to to the funeral home, where Westfield police and friends had gathered.

Fences and utility poles on the funeral procession route along Western Avenue were decorated with blue ribbons in honor of the fallen officer.

A large American flag was held above Western Avenue by fire department ladder trucks from Westfield and Springfield.

Torres, was to be buried next to his father, Jesus Torres.

10:15 a.m.: The funeral service will include reflections from Westfield police Capt. Hipolito Nunez.

10:10 a.m.: At right, Westfield firefighters await the arrival of the funeral procession, which is scheduled to begin between 10:00 and 10:15 a.m.

10:06 a.m.: The Torres funeral is now listed on Gov. Deval Patrick's public schedule.

10:03 a.m.: Jim McKeever (@JimMcKeever) of The Westfield News tweets this quote from the wife of retired police officer Dennis Dalton: "You never know when they leave in the morning what they're going to experience."

And, from Hampden District Attorney Mark Mastroianni: "He was an outstanding man and a fantastic police officer."

9:57 a.m.: City Clerk Karen Fanion: "It's a very sad day for Westfield."

David Luna tells @GeorgeGraham413: "It's like losing a brother. We grew up together on Orange Street."

At right, a photo from Court Street in Westfield.

9:53 a.m.: At Court Square in Westfield, Linda Berchenski tells @GeorgeGraham413: Torres was "...my best friend in the whole world." At right, a photo of Berchenski with David Mercier.

9:47 a.m.: WWLP, which will carry a live feed of the services starting at 11 a.m. today, has posted a photo gallery with some scenes from Westfield this morning. CBS3 Springfield, media partner of The Republican and MassLive.com, will also carry the WWLP feed on Comcast channel 293 and Charter channel 230.

9:36 a.m.: Hope Tremblay (@hopetremblay) of The Westfield News, via Twitter: "With an hour and a half to go until the start of funeral services for #officerjosetorres Dever Auditorium is filling up #westfield".

9:32 a.m.: In his 27 years as a Westfield police offficer, Jose Torres received two commendations for heroism. A Sept. 14, 2000 article from the archives of The Republican describes the circumstances for each of those commendations:

On July 11, 1996, he was dispatched to an attempted suicide on Broad Street where he saw a man on a second-story fire escape with a rope around his neck, the commendation states.

Torres ran up the fire escape and grabbed the man, preventing him from securing the other end of the rope.

The man then jumped back through a window and Torres continued to hold on, preventing the man from jumping out another window.

Torres suffered permanent scarring to his face during the incident.

Torres was also commended for deploying a so-called "stinger spike," designed to stop speeding vehicles, on Feb. 24.

The commendation, issued on the recommendation of Sgt. Lawrence Valliere, states that Torres deployed the spike in front of a speeding vehicle "just seconds before contact."

9:26 a.m.: The Westfield News reports that Gov. Patrick has ordered the United States flag and the Commonwealth flag to be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise until sunset today, to honor officer Torres.

9:20 a.m.: Lt. Gov. Tim Murray (@MassLtGov) was in attendance at the wake for officer Torres yesterday, tweeting, "Tremendous outpouring of support tonight for Westfield Police Officer Jose Torres. Prayers for his family. We're grateful for his service."

Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to attend the funeral today.

9:05 a.m.: We'll try to get the full story on this -- a simple-but-sweet vignette shaping up via Facebook. On July 26, an eighth-grade student at Westfield's South Middle School posted to Mayor Daniel Knapik's Facebook page: "Hello Mr. Kanpik, I'm A 8th grader from south middle school, and i have been wondering why we have no american flag flying in our new green? In a loss of a good police officer and good friend, I hope too see one fly soon, Thank You."

Yesterday, the student posted again: "Thank You For The Flag!! :-)"

9:00 a.m.: Western Avenue is now closed to traffic from Lloyd’s Hill Road to Laura Drive; it will reopen after the service today.

8:54 a.m.: George Graham (@GeorgeGraham413) is one of the reporters The Republican has in Westfield today; he'll be tweeting updates and photos from outside the police department. At right, a photo shows the police department flag flying at half mast and flowers left at the entrance in memory of officer Torres.

8:32 a.m.: People from all over the country have offered tributes to a section of the Officer Down Memorial Page devoted to Torres. THe Florida Police Chiefs Association offers:

The Florida Police Chiefs Association would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Officer Jose Torres, and the Westfield Police Department. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of great sadness. Please take comfort in knowing that your extended law enforcement family grieves with you. Officer Torres, we thank you for your service. You will not be forgotten.

8:28 a.m.: Westfield municipal offices / other public services (except for police, fire and dispatch) will close at 10 a.m. today to allow employees to attend the funeral. Details are available on the city's website.

8:10 a.m.: Springfield police Sgt. John Delaney, in an interview with Brad Shepard and Bo Sullivan on WHYN 560 this morning: "It means a lot to police officers, such as myself, when people come up to us in public and thank us. That's what you can do for officer Torres today -- thank a cop."

Delaney closed the interview by saying, "God bless Jose Torres and his family; it's a sad day in Westfield."

8:02 a.m.: State Senator Mike Knapik, brother of Westfield Mayor Daniel Knapik, notes that the Senate closed its formal session last night with a tribute to officer Torres. Senate President Therese Murray read the following statement:

The Senator from Hampden & Hampshire, Mr. Knapik moves that when the Senate adjourn today it adjourn in memory of Officer Jose Torres, 53, of Westfield who was killed in the line of duty on Thursday, July 26, 2012. Officer Torres was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on April 6th, 1959 to Jesus and Maria (Gonzales) Torres. He grew up in Westfield and attended local schools and was a graduate of Westfield High School. Jose enjoyed watching the Red Sox play and rooting for his favorite team. He also enjoyed spending time with family and friends and was considered by many as "the life of the party." He was extremely supportive of his two boys in their education and everything they pursued. His love for his wife was known by all as he took pride in marrying his best friend. Jose was a US Army Veteran. He was appointed as a reserve on February 12, 1985 and was hired as a full time officer in August 26, of 1985. He loved serving the city of Westfield for 27 years as a police officer and was decorated twice for heroism for going above and beyond the call of duty. He was also proud to be recognized for his achievements by the Westfield Spanish American Association in 2001. Jose leaves behind his loving wife Kara (Dominik) Torres and his two sons Jay and Christopher of Westfield, his mother Maria, brothers Jesus Torres Jr. and Daniel Torres and a sister Idalia Torres all of Westfield his mother -in-law, Sharon Dominik and several nieces, nephews and extended family members.

7:45 a.m.: Westfield Gas and Electric offers this remembrance, via Facebook:

As Officer Jose Torres is laid to rest today, the WG&E extends our sympathies to his entire family, countless friends and the entire Westfield and law enforcement community. Over the years, Jose kept a watchful eye over our WG&E crews as they worked throughout the City, taking care to ensure they were kept safe and out of harm's way. We thank him for his service and will miss his wonderful smile, easy going nature and commitment to the job.

6:40 a.m.: Officers spotted heading into Holyoke police headquarters with dress uniforms. Police from around the region are expected to attend the funeral today.