Copperas Cove honors Officer Elijah Garretson with public funeral

The Copperas Cove Police Department held a public funeral service for Officer Elijah Garretson on Saturday, January 17, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cadence Bank Center, Garth Arena, 301 West Loop 121 in Belton. The department conducted the service with full police honors and opened it to members of the public, drawing attention across Coryell County to the loss and the community response.

The department issued updated guidance ahead of the service to clarify the timeline of the incident and to manage media access. While the initial incident occurred late on January 10 near midnight, the department confirmed that Officer Garretson’s official time of death and his End of Watch is January 11. That clarification is significant for official records and the sequence of notifications, memorial listings, and administrative processes that follow a law enforcement line-of-duty death.

Garretson’s family requested that the service not be live streamed, recorded, or photographed, and the police department asked media partners to honor that request in recognition of the solemn nature of the event. The department said it would provide additional details about a designated media staging area and any applicable access guidance once final venue arrangements were confirmed. Media inquiries were routed to Kevin Keller and Anna Rodriguez via publicrelations@copperascovetx.gov.

For local residents and civic institutions, the funeral underscored longstanding tensions that can accompany high-profile public mourning: the public interest in showing support and the family’s need for private grieving. The department’s guidance exemplified an effort to balance transparency and public access with respect for family wishes. How agencies manage that balance affects public trust in both law enforcement institutions and local media practices, and sets precedents for future community events.

The service also has practical implications for municipal operations. Full police honors typically require coordination across departments and jurisdictions, and public memorials can affect traffic and venue logistics. Citizens planning to attend such events should expect organized processions and visible law enforcement presence and should comply with requests from organizers and venue staff.

As the community processes this loss, the department’s confirmation of the End of Watch date will feed into official records, memorials, and any subsequent administrative or legislative actions related to line-of-duty deaths. Residents seeking information or families needing guidance on participating in memorials should follow updates from the Copperas Cove Police Department and respect the Garretson family’s request for privacy during the service.