Thousands Gather In Vallejo To Honor Slain Officer

VALLEJO (CBS13/AP) -- Thousands gathered Wednesday morning at Vallejo High School to honor Vallejo Police Officer Jim Capoot, who was gunned down in the line of duty earlier this month.

The memorial service at Corbus Field, the football stadium next to the high school, began at 11 a.m. Law enforcement officers from around the state and Gov. Jerry Brown were among those in the crowd, estimated at well over 4,000.

Capoot, 45, was a 19-year veteran of the Vallejo department. He was also the varsity girls basketball coach at Vallejo High, a husband and father of three.

Capoot's beat partner, Officer Alan Caragan, said in his eulogy that Capoot was like a brother to him and had the heart of a lion.

The service for the former Marine ended with a 21-gun salute and a flyover by helicopters. Capoot's flag-draped coffin was then taken by motorcade to a cemetery for a private interment.

The man accused of gunning down a Capoot while trying to flee the scene of a bank robbery has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

Police say 37-year-old Henry Albert Smith Jr. robbed a Bank of America branch on Nov. 17, then led police on a high-speed chase. They say that after Smith's SUV spun to a stop, the suspect ran into a backyard and fatally shot Capoot, who was pursuing him.

Smith's attorney, Oscar Bobrow, entered the not-guilty plea for his client Tuesday to murder with four special circumstances, including murder of a peace officer and murder in the commission of a robbery.