Slain Merced officer remembered in annual ceremony

On Good Friday, family, friends and supporters of Stephan Gray gathered at the Merced Police Department to honor the police officer who was gunned down on duty in 2004.

Near a memorial with his name on it, a table draped in a navy cloth displayed two red roses, an officer’s hat and white gloves, a folded flag and a white candle. Those items, Police Chief Norm Andrade said, symbolized Gray’s loyalty, his courage and sacrifice, his family and friends left behind, his absence and his memory.

Gray, 34, was gunned down on April 15, 2004, while chasing a gang member who ran during a traffic stop. The killer, Cuitlahuac Tahua “Tao” Rivera, was captured after a nearly three-week manhunt. He was convicted of murder and remains on death row in San Quentin State Prison.

Though Rivera has filed appeals multiple times, District Attorney Larry Morse II, who prosecuted the case, said Rivera has a long way to go until he exhausts his appeals.

Gray is survived by his wife, Michelle, and their three children.

Family members thanked the police department for putting on the ceremony each year.

“Our only hope now is to see him again in our next life,” said Rosetta Henderson, Gray’s aunt.

Henderson read words written by Gray’s brother, Tony, who wasn’t able to make it to the ceremony. “There are heroes around you. Love them, learn from them and never forget them.”

Andrade, who was a sergeant when Gray first started the job, described him as “the kind of son you’d want.”

“He was caring, tough when he had to be, and he liked to have fun,” he said. “He was a professional. He did the job, and he did it by the book. In today’s world, that’s especially important.

“I always remember him walking down the hall and singing,” he said. “Stephan thought he was a great singer.”

Andrade said the ceremony was good for the department since about half the people remember Gray. Coming together each year to remember him reminds police officers and staff that the department is a family, he said.

Michelle Gray said even though her husband died 13 years ago, her family still feels the void he left in their lives.

“During all the milestones, there’s always an empty chair next to me,” she said.

Gray is the only Merced police officer to be murdered in the line of duty.

This story was originally published April 14, 2017 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Slain Merced officer remembered in annual ceremony."