WATCH: Funeral for El Paso County Deputy Micah Flick

The funeral service for El Paso County Deputy Micah Flick drew a crowd of thousands Saturday at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Flick was killed Feb. 5 in a shootout with an auto-theft suspect. Three other law enforcement officers were injured but are recovering.

The funeral began at 1 p.m.

Officers, deputies, and first responders showed support for Flick outside of New Life Church.

El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder, Colorado Springs Police Chief Pete Carey, Gov. John Hickenlooper, and many friends and family members spoke at Flick’s funeral.

“I think I’ve been to over 70 funerals in my life in public service and I don’t think there’s one that’s been sadder than today,” Hickenlooper said. ” I wish I could have known Micah but his benevolent energy and spirit rings clear through the stories that have been told today and over the past week.”

“The pain we feel today will be the strength we feel tomorrow,” El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder said.

A tribute to Flick’s life — and his love of pop music — brought many in the audience to tears.

But the tears continued as Flick’s wife, Rachael, reflected on his life and his love for law enforcement.

At about 3:40 p.m., the final call went out for Dep. Flick.

A funeral procession prepared to leave New Life at around 4 p.m.

GALLERY:

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The service will be held at New Life Church on Voyager Parkway and is open to the public. A large attendance is expected, so there may only be standing room.

Donations can be made to the Flick family through the sheriff’s office by clicking HERE.

A procession will be held at around 2:30 p.m. following the funeral service. The image below is the route:

In addition to the rolling intersection and overpass roadblocks on Powers Boulevard, there will be a full closure from eastbound Interquest Parkway onto Powers Boulevard, from Powers onto eastbound Woodmen Road and at intersections along Woodmen from Powers to Meridian Road.

“These rolling closures will begin when the procession leaves the church. Surrounding roadways may become extremely congested and so drivers are asked to plan ahead and avoid these intersections during the procession times,” according to Dave Rose, chief public information officer with El Paso County.

Earlier story

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says a news conference will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday to discuss Monday’s fatal officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of Dep. Micah Flick.

“On my first day as sheriff of El Paso County, I was asked what my biggest fear was; my response was that my fear was losing a member of my family to tragedy in the line of duty,” Sheriff Bill Elder said after identifying the deputies wounded Monday.

“Last night, that fear became a reality. My heart is broken, not only for the family of Dep. Flick, but for the sheriff’s office.”

The sheriff’s office says Dep. Scott Stone and Sgt. Jake Abendshan were both injured in the shooting, but are recovering. Abendshan was released from the hospital Monday night.

“This is a tough business; I’ve been in this business my entire life. It’s a dangerous profession to be in. Unfortunately, in the past few years, there’s been a lack of respect for the men and women who are there to protect our community. Frankly, it shocks my staff, it shocks the leadership of public safety throughout the country. As much as we hate to admit it, we understand those risks. The senseless violence has got to end.”

Elder said Flick’s funeral arrangements are still pending, but information is expected to released in the coming days. Donations can be made to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Foundation for Micah Flick, 1980 Dominion Way, Ste. 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80918.

The crime scene at Murray Hill Apartments was cleared at about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The suspect in the shooting was killed. Read our coverage from Monday HERE.

KRDO will live stream the conference, which you can watch by clicking HERE.