AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Law enforcement officers from around the state of Michigan packed The Apostolic Church in Auburn Hills Friday for the funeral of Oakland County Sheriff's Detective Bradley Reckling.
Reckling, 30, was shot and killed Saturday night during an undercover operation in Detroit involving a stolen vehicle.
He leaves behind three young children and a wife who is pregnant with their fourth child.
"The police community is so supportive of one another. They never want to have to do this, but when they do, they just come out in force to care for one another and to show their support for this family," said Vern Pixley, president of Pixley Funeral Home.
Reckling was with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for nine years. He was a detective in the auto theft unit and a member of the motorcycle unit.
Watch more coverage about Reckling and his funeral service below:
Detroit Police Chief James White and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard were at the funeral.
“It’s soul-crushing. I mean, our people are hurting," Bouchard said. "You know, the family, there’s holes that will never be filled. It’s not just a hole, I call it a crater."
As the community comes together for Reckling and his family, the Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office is mourning the loss of one of their own, Deputy William Henry Butler Jr., who was fatally shot on Thursday during a traffic stop.
His death happened less than a week after Reckling's.
"It's very, very hard and on our families," said Steve Dolunt, a retired assistant police chief for the City of Detroit. "When I was on the job, whenever an officer was shot in Detroit, I would call home right away and say it's not me."
Dolunt is now a member of Michigan Concerns of Police Survivors, also known as M.I.-C.O.P.S.
VIDEO: Hundreds honor fallen Deputy Brad Reckling during vigil at Romeo High School
"I loved being the police and it's not all bang, bang, shoot 'em up like you see on TV. And unlike on TV, when an officer loses their life, all these people are grieving. On TV, they're back to work the next day? No, the mental health aspect is bad, " Dolunt said.
Multiple fundraisers for Reckling's widow and children have raised more than $300,000.
“After the funeral and after everybody leaves town, then the house suddenly gets quiet and that bed is now half empty, so we want to be there for them,” Bouchard said.
None of the three teenagers arrested for Reckling's killing have been charged with his murder, but one has been charged with lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation. The two other teens are being held after their bonds in an unrelated case were revoked.
You can donate to Reckling's family through their GoFundMe page.
You can also donate through the Deputy Sheriff's Association's Family Benevolent Fund and Mission Oakland. One hundred percent of the money raised in both will go to his wife and children.
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7 News Detroit reporter Tiarra Braddock contributed to this report.
