BANGOR, Maine — Sunday morning, law enforcement led a procession from the Mitchell and Tweedie Funeral Home in Bucksport to the Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor.
The one-hour procession followed the hearse of Deputy Luke Gross to the cemetery for the cremation of his body.
While the cremation process was underway, personnel from different public safety agencies who were part of the procession gathered at a nearby Bangor firehouse.
The procession picked back up about four to five hours later from the Mount Hope Cemetery back to Bucksport.
"We know that the job and the profession we do is a very dangerous profession, and it's something we prepare for every day but people have to realize when we are on calls we make split-second decisions that take other people weeks, if not months, if not years to make, and we are expected to make them on a split second, and we do that very well. We train all the time, and everything we have to do with training has to do with safety, not only for the citizens but for ourselves," said Sean Geagan, Bucksport police chief, and public safety director.
"This is something we prepare for all the time and hope that we never use, and we do need to use it, there is no other fraternity that comes together than law enforcement. We are here every day of the week for the citizens of the state of Maine and unfortunately, when things like this happen, we are here for one of our own that we are going to miss dearly," said Geagan.
A funeral for Gross is scheduled for Thursday, September 30th, at noon at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
According to Scott Kane of the Hancock County Sheriff's Department, people hoping to attend the funeral service should arrive at the Cross Insurance Center no later than 11:30 a.m.
Uniformed personnel should be there by 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Click here for more information on the celebration of life being held next Thursday for Gross.