A funeral procession and service were held Wednesday for Chad Swanson, a Manhattan Beach Police motorcycle officer who was killed in a crash on the San Diego Freeway.
The funeral procession began at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in Manhattan Beach, passing by dozens of people who waved flags along the route to pay respects to the fallen officer as the motorcade made its way to a church service in Cypress.
Manhattan Beach Police Department personnel and city staff joined the procession to “show unity and respect,” police said.
The route began on Manhattan Beach Boulevard between Ardmore Avenue and Aviation Boulevard, then headed to SeaCoast Church in Cypress.
Swanson, 35, was a 13-year veteran police officer. He died at Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, the police department reported. According to Manhattan Beach police Lt. Kelly Benjamin, Swanson was married with three young sons.
Manhattan Beach officials said Swanson was on his way to work Oct. 4 when the crash occurred.
According to the CHP, the officer was in a crash that involved three other vehicles. The driver of one of those vehicles may have been speeding and made a possibly unsafe lane change, striking another vehicle that careened out of control, according to the CHP.
The officer’s motorcycle was struck by one of the vehicles, knocking him to the ground. He was taken to Harbor UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. One other person suffered minor injuries and was also taken to a hospital.
The other motorists remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, the CHP reported.
It was unclear which vehicle struck the officer.
Manhattan Beach police Chief Rachel Johnson said Swanson joined the department 13 years ago and became a motorcycle officer in 2017. He previously worked as a civilian parking enforcement employee at the Hawthorne Police Department, Johnson said.
Swanson made headlines in 2017 for his efforts responding to the mass shooting at the Route 91 Music Festival in Las Vegas, which he was attending with his wife, Hailey, when the gunfire erupted.
“When the shooting started at the Route 91 festival, Chad didn’t miss a beat,” Hailey Swanson said during Wednesday’s service.
She said her husband told her, “Those are gunshots and you need to get out of here.”
“Before he disappeared into the chaos, he turned to me and said, `Hold my beer,”’ she said, drawing laughs from the crowd. “He handed me his drink and I watched him run off into the gunfire. He was so grateful to have been there that night. So grateful to have been able to live out what God had created him to do. When we finally made our way back to each other the next day, he came strutting up so casually through the ccasino, shirtless, bloody. I ran up to him crying. The first thing out of his mouth was, `Where’s my Koozie?’ But that was Chad.”
Swanson is also survived by three young sons, all under age 5.
“Chad lived a life of service to the community,” Johnson told reporters after his death. “… His love for his work was evident each time I saw him. I last spoke with Chad on Sunday at the canine car show, and I watched as he lifted one kid after another kid onto his motorcycle to let them see what it was like to sit astride a police motor. He never tired of it. And I think he would have done it until sunset if that’s what it took to make every kid’s day.
“Chad was a bright star in a world that wasn’t always the same. Chad was what I refer to as a seriously good dude. His infectious smile and laugh lit up every room he entered. To know Chad was to love him. If you weren’t laughing when he was in the room, you simply weren’t listening.”
Manhattan Beach Mayor Richard Montgomery said in a statement the entire community was mourning “the loss of an officer who dedicated his career to ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents.”
“His fearless contributions to our community and beyond were marked by bravery, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to duty,” Montgomery said.