Slain Taylor Police officer laid to rest

TAYLOR, Mich. (WXYZ) - Police officers from Michigan and across the country escorted the body of slain Taylor police Cpl. Matthew Edwards to Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery today, paying tribute to the first police officer from Taylor killed in the line of duty..

The funeral procession included thousands of police and firefighters.Witnesses say at various points along the way to the cemetery, as the hundreds of police vehicles drove by with their lights flashing, citizens lining the roadway were moved to spontaneous bursts of applause. Police officers directing traffic were seen openly weeping as the hearse passed them by.

Flags are at half-staff and many billboards outside businesses and restaurants display messages of support for Edwards' family. Firefighters in Taylor mounted a huge American flag over Goddard Road outside City Hall to honor the memory of the fallen officer.

Edwards, 31, was shot to death while on an emergency call Friday. Hundreds of people attended the funeral, which began at noon. Edwards is the first police officer to die in the line of duty in Taylor.

More than 100 officers on motorcycles escorted Edwards' body from the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home, arriving at the church just after 11 a.m. As "America the Beautiful," was played on bagpipes, Edwards' family entered the church..