SAN ANTONIO — It’s been more than a year since San Marcos Police officer Justin Putnam was killed in the line of duty. On Thursday, his body made the trip up I-35 from San Marcos to Austin one last time.
Members of the public were able to pay their respects as his funeral procession traveled to Shoreline Church, where the funeral was held.
“COVID prevented us from having a timelier service, but giving honor and tribute to a selfless sacrifice, to courage and to a life well lived is never something that should be taken for granted,” the lead pastor for Shoreline Church said during the funeral.
Putnam was killed on April 18, 2020, when he and two other officers were ambushed while responding to a domestic disturbance call in San Marcos.
“Justin was a field training officer, where he excelled. Being average was not his standard. Training to be and keeping it 100 was his standard,” a co-worker of Putnam's said.
The funeral service included video tributes, as well as the presentation of a posthumous award given by San Marcos Police Chief Stan Standridge.
“Officer Justin Putnam stood apart of our finest. Exhibiting acts of courage and sacrifice for above his calling as a peace officer for the city of San Marcos,” Standridge said.
At the end of the service, Putnam was awarded full law enforcement honors. It was an honorable sendoff fit for a hero.
“I’m so proud to have been in his orbit and so lucky to have learned from him," added a childhood friend. "I wish I had the chance to thank him for who he was and who he made me."