Slain Miss. police officer remembered for his passion
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Liquori Tate was remembered as a young man with passion.
A passion for life.
A passion for family.
And a passion to protect and serve by becoming a police officer.
On Saturday, a crowd of almost 2,000 packed West Point Baptist Church in Hattiesburg to pay final respects to that passion and the life of the fallen Hattiesburg Police Department officer.
Tate and fellow Hattiesburg Police Department patrolman Benjamin J. Deen died May 9 after being shot during a traffic stop.
A funeral for Deen was held Thursday.
"He sent a powerful message to our nation's youth: that you can be good, and that you can be all that you want to be," Mayor Johnny DuPree said of the 25-year-old Tate. "Liquori Tate proved that you don't have to be rich, and you don't have to be old to affect the lives of millions of people. And both officers have changed the mindset and the way that we respect the jobs that officers perform every day."
Tate, who was known as "CoCo" to friends and family, had a childhood dream of becoming a law enforcement officer, playing with police cars and games when he was young. That dream was realized on June 11, when he was sworn in as a Hattiesburg police officer after a stint at A.B.C. Security.
"CoCo was quiet, CoCo was simple, CoCo was loving," said Pastor Vern Ross, Tate's uncle. "He loved Momma, he loved Daddy, he loved big sis, he loved his little brothers and sisters.
"He loved people, and he loved life, and he showed it every single day when he smiled in the midst of adversity. He loved us so much, that like somebody 2,000 years ago, he gave his life so that we might have life."
Tate was known among colleagues as a dedicated worker with a contagious smile who worked tirelessly to strengthen his relationship with the community.
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain," HPD officer Robert Magee said. "Officer Tate had many storms in his short life, and after every storm, there was rain. But not only did he dance in the rain, he didn't mind taking others (dancing) with him."
In addition to the Deen family, hundreds of law enforcement officials from Mississippi and around the country arrived to pay respect.
"There's an extreme brotherhood within law enforcement, and they do exactly what I do," said Teresa Pardinas of the Gwinnett County, Ga., Sheriff's Department. "And there is no reason for me not to be here because I understand what they've gone through, and I understand what we face every day with the possibility of death.
Tate may have said it best himself through one of his old Facebook posts that was shared in a tribute program during the service.
"Life is too short," the post read. "So if I die today I'm happy how my life turned out. And I'm happy that I had a chance to meet the people that I met and I enjoyed every moment that I have spent with each and every one of them. That's my word."