Kalamazoo Officer Killed In 2011 Remembered At 3.1-Mile Run

KALAMAZOO (AP) - Hundreds of people have turned out for a 3.1-mile run or walk to honor a Kalamazoo police officer killed on duty in 2011.

The Kalamazoo Gazette says some officers and firefighters ran the route in full gear Saturday, including body armor and fire suits. Eric Zapata was fatally shot four years ago while responding to gunshots in a Kalamazoo neighborhood.

Megan Kizer didn't know Zapata but says it's important for the community to come together at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Later, at the Zapata Community Memorial site, his mother Connie Bernal thanked everyone. Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley urged the crowd to recall Zapata's smile and "what he meant to this community."