Funeral Procession Held for Officer Robert Lasso

A light drizzle that fell early this morning stopped and skies began to clear just before a funeral procession for began in Bethlehem shortly before 10am. The mood in the area remained somber, however, as hundreds gathered along the route to recognize the heroism of the 31-year-old member of the law enforcement community.

The procession for the fallen officer, who was killed in the line of duty Aug. 11, began at and continued down Market Street through the borough of Freemansburg and north through Bethlehem Township to Northampton Community College, where

In Freemansburg, hundreds of residents lined the streets to pay their respects to one of their own, according to a report in the Express-Times.

, and some residents wept as they paid tribute to his sacrifice, the article said.

In Bethlehem, several residents of --which is across the street from the funeral home where Lasso's private viewing was held--clutched small American flags as they sat in wheelchairs awaiting the start of the procession.

Several blocks to the east, residents of the Moravian Village mid-rise at Market and Wood streets ventured onto their balconies to watch the cortege that included police cruisers, fire trucks, ambulances and motorcycle police accompanying Lasso's hearse.

Two Bethlehem Fire Department ladder trucks extended their ladders to form an arch high above Market Street. Hanging from the arch was an enormous American flag that fluttered in the breeze.

Near the arch, a large group of students who had been participating in field hockey practice at an athletic field next to the Minsi Trail Bridge stopped to witness the rare sight of a funeral procession for a police officer who made the ultimate sacrifice.

After the procession and memorial service,, where he was to be cremated, Hellertown Police Chief Robert Shupp said Monday.