San Francisco to mourn loss of fallen officer

San Francisco Police Officer Bryan Tuvera, RIP.
Photo courtesy SFPD Public Affairs

By Brent Begin, Bay City News Service

December 26, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - For the second time this year, St. Mary's Cathedral is preparing to host thousands of mourners who will pay tribute to a fallen San Francisco police officer.

With a candlelight vigil Thursday night and a service Friday morning, officers within the department and from around the Bay Area hope to bring closure after the death of the third San Francisco police officer in the line of duty in eight months.

And while officers are quiet today about the death of 28-year-old Officer Bryan Tuvera early Saturday, a spokesman with the Police Officers Association said he speaks for the department when he expresses the sorrow that everybody feels.

"What can I say other than Bryan's loss is a devastation to this department," said union Vice President Kevin Martin, who knew both Bryan Tuvera and his father Bennie, who worked as a police dispatcher in San Francisco.

"I knew Bryan when he first broke into the department," Martin said. "He served with a distinguished serenity. He was very quiet, very gentle. He didn't have to prove himself by putting on a tough guy image."

Tuvera died at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, exactly 10 years to the minute after his father died.

He was attempting to arrest Marlon Ruff, 33, who had escaped from a Northern California state correctional work camp on Feb. 27, 2005, according to Bill Sessa with California Corrections and Rehabilitation.

"It's rare that an escapee does not get caught," Sessa said. "It's really unfortunate that this escapee wasn't caught before this weekend."

Ruff died inside the Sunset District garage where the shootout occurred. Police have not released any details as to who shot Ruff or the name of Tuvera's partner who was with him at the time.

Officers were shocked by the news, according to Martin, especially in the Taraval station where Tuvera worked.

Today, however, officers are putting aside those feelings and getting back to work.

"We don't shut down. We just keep serving the people of San Francisco," Martin said. "This just underlines the perils if serving on the force. Sometimes you never know if you're coming home."

Both the candlelight vigil, scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m., and the memorial service, scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m., are to be held at St. Mary's Cathedral at 1111 Gough St.

Copyright © 2006 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

####