Philly honors fallen Sergeant Shane Seiber at citywide memorial service

An emotional farewell for a fallen Philadelphia police officer. Hundreds of men and women in blue, his widow, even strangers coming out to honor 40-year-old officer Shane Sieber, posthumously promoted today to sergeant. He and his partner were ambushed and shot while responding to a call in West Philadelphia 10 days ago. And Kelly, even his partner shot 12 times, left his hospital bed to pay tribute to him. He sure did, Shane, for the first time. Absolutely miraculous. Nobody expected that. We know that he was here today, and the focus today was certainly to honor Sergeant Sieber. His loved ones described him as incredibly kind, courageous, dedicated, and humble, not just in his years in law enforcement and serving his country, but in his everyday life. Shane was one of those once-in-a-lifetime people. In the quiet before dawn, Sergeant Shane Sieber, escorted to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, where family, friends, and law enforcement from across the region gathered to honor his legacy and say goodbye. The 40-year-old leaves behind a family he loved fiercely, his wife Lisa and two young children ages 7 and 3 years old. He was killed in the line of duty when he and his partner, 33-year-old Officer Hector Rodriguez, responded to a call for a person with a gun in West Philadelphia where investigators said they were ambushed by gunfire. We're not simply here to remember how Shane died. We are here to remember how Shane lived, because his life was so much more than the tragedy that brought us together. Sergeant Sieber enlisted in the Air Force in 2006 and completed two tours of duty in Iraq before joining the Philadelphia Police Department in 2016 and working in the 19th District. He earned the name Colgate for his contagious smile and was fondly known for his huge heart beneath the badge. To carry kindness in hard places, to offer warmth when the world can be extremely cold, what a gift. During our time in Iraq, he would take the time to free mice caught in sticky traps and release them back into the desert. It was a small thing, but it said so much about him. Even in the middle of a demanding deployment, he made room for kindness. He cared about the vulnerable, whether they were people he loved or creatures most of us would never have given a second thought. Miraculously, Officer Rodriguez, who was shot 12 times in the gunfire that took Sergeant Sieber's life, left the hospital today for the first time to say goodbye to his partner. Following Sergeant Sieber's funeral, police gave its final honors, his last radio call, a flyover as he was escorted into the funeral car with a prayer and blessing. That kindness, that courage, that humility, and that enormous heart are part of the legacy he leaves behind in his two beautiful children, Finn and Emily. They carry so much of him with them, and I hope they will always know how deeply their dad was loved how many lives he touched and what an extraordinary man he was Mayor Cherelle Parker who also spoke today announced that the city will be doing an annual internship in Sergeant Sieber's name and they will be seeking his family's input on that process there is still a fundraiser for his family and Officer Rodriguez's family as well we have those links on Fox29.com Sieber Just a solemn day. Kelly, thank you