SANTA CRUZ, Calif- The memorial service for Sgt. Butch Baker and Sgt. Elizabeth Butler, which starts at noon, promises to be an honorable, emotional salute to the officers and all they've done for the community.
After a procession from Santa Cruz to the H.P. Pavilion, families of both detectives will meet with Governor Brown and other dignitaries in quiet rooms for private meetings.
Doors to the arena open to the public at 11:00, but Police Officers and the families won't start to fill the auditorium until 11:45.
Santa Cruz Pipes and Drums will fill the auditorium with "Mist Covered Mountains" as Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel and Deputy Chiefs Rick Martinez and Steve Clark escort the families into their seats.
Pastor Rene Schlaepfer will deliver the invocation and closing remarks for the ceremony.
Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel will offer inspirational remarks as the ceremony gets underway, while California Attorney General Kamala Harris and former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will speak as dignitaries.
Deputy Chief Steve Clark will give Sgt. Butch Baker's eulogy, while Alexis Butler will deliver the eulogy for Sgt. Elizabeth Butler.
Former Santa Cruz Police Officer Rudy Escalante will give reflections for Sgt. Baker, while Wendy Bynes and Laurel Schonfield will give Sgt. Butler's.
At the family's request, former American Idol finalist James Durbin will offer his condolences in the form of song.
Wednesday night, we learned he would sing an acoustic version of "Arms Wide Open" by Creed.
As the ceremony comes to a close, Santa Cruz Police Officers will form a gauntlet down the center aisle while the Honor Guard stages with the Santa Cruz Pipes and Drums Corps.
Chief Vogel and Deputy Chiefs Rick Martinez and Steve Clark will escort the families out as the bagpipes and drums continue to play.
Santa Cruz Police will dismiss and form another gauntlet, this time down Autumn Street to Santa Clara, where they'll meet Chief Vogel and Deputy Chiefs Rick Martinez and Steve Clark.
Then, allied agencies will form a gauntlet down Autumn Street to the freeway.
The families ride away beneath a helicopter Airship flyover in the fallen officers' honors.
During the flyover, the families will drive out through the gauntlet to the freeway, where a procession back to Santa Cruz will lead to a private reception
Memorial plans for the two fallen officers in Santa Cruz were scheduled to be at the Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz but now have been moved to San Jose at the HP Pavilion.
"We are humbled by the number of people that want to come together and honor our fallen heroes" Police Chief Kevin Vogel said. "We all wish we had the local capacity to serve the thousands of people throughout the country that have said they want to attend."
The Baker and Butler families issued a statement saying, "We are extremely pleased we were able to locate a venue that would allow all supporters to have an opportunity to honor these officers together under one roof"
The memorial will start at noon on Thursday. If you are unable to drive to San Jose there are several locations to watch the memorial locally.
There will be a live feed of the service at the Kaiser Permanente Arena. There will be no tickets and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Door will open at 10:00 a.m.
The Del Mar Theater has also offered their main theatre in Downtown Santa Cruz as an alternate memorial viewing site. Their doors will open Thursday at 11:00 AM.
Central Coast News will also air the memorial service live on air and online. We will also offer you the only option to watch the memorial service streamed right on your phone on our Syncbak app. Click here for details.
You can also watch the memorial procession to the HP Pavilion, by Santa Cruz County agencies. The procession is scheduled to depart at 8:45 AM.
The procession will follow the following route:
- Third Street to Riverside Avenue
- Riverside Avenue north to San Lorenzo Blvd
- San Lorenzo Blvd to Ocean Street north
- Ocean Street north to Highway 17
- Highway 17 to Highway 85 south
- Highway 85 to Highway 87 north
- Highway 87 to Julian Street west
- Julian Street to Autumn Street south
- Autumn St to HP Pavilion entrance
Transportation:
The City of Santa Cruz and METRO are offering METRO bus vouchers for travel on the
Highway 17 Express Thursday March 7 to enable attendance at the memorial service for Sgt.
Butch Baker and Officer Elizabeth Butler. Vouchers are available for individuals with special
needs or those with no other means to attend. Vouchers can be obtained beginning Tuesday at the following city locations:
Louden Nelson Center
301 Center Street, Santa Cruz
9am—9pm
Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown Branch
224 Church Street, Santa Cruz
11am—7 pm
Santa Cruz Public Library Branciforte Branch
230 Gault Street, Santa Cruz
10am—7 pm
Santa Cruz Public Library Scotts Valley Branch
251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley
11 am—7 pm
