Funeral arrangements announced for 24-year-old Atlanta police recruit killed in motorcycle crash

Family and friends will gather on Wednesday and Thursday to honor the life of a 24-year-old Atlanta Police Department recruit killed in a motorcycle crash on his way to training.

Moses Russ died Sept. 1 after his Kawasaki Ninja collided with an SUV at Moreland Avenue and McDonough Boulevard, according to Atlanta police. Russ was traveling to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center when the crash happened. He was pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Officials say Russ was in his 16th week of training at the academy as part of APD's Class 302 and had been deployed out in downtown Atlanta during the FIFA World Cup.

A public viewing will take place on Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m. at Legacy Funeral Home in Jonesboro.

Russ's private celebration of life service will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Victory City Church in Forest Park. He will be buried at Mt. Harmony Memorial Gardens on Veterans Memorial Hwy SE in Mableton.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to KiDs GyM USA in College Park or the Russ family.

Remembering the life of Moses Russ

Before joining the APD, Russ served two years in the Atlanta Department of Corrections and had been a member of the U.S. Coast Guard.

On Friday, his family and other police recruits gathered for a balloon release and to share their memories of Russ. 

"His smile was amazing. You definitely remember it," his sister, Joana Russ, said. "Everybody speaking about it, they're telling you the truth. If you see him online, he's probably smiling. You're going to know exactly what we're talking about."

Atlanta Chief of Police Darin Schierbaum described Russ as the "exact type of person we would want to be a police officer."

The crash remains under investigation.