A Widow and Police Partner Celebrate The Life Of Washington Officer Diego Moreno

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Connecting changes everything. I'm Katja Adler, host of The Global Story. Over the last 25 years, I've covered conflicts in the Middle East, political and economic crises in Europe, drug cartels in Mexico. Now I'm covering the stories behind the news all over the world in conversation with those who break it. Join me Monday to Friday to find out what's happening, why, and what it all means. Follow The Global Story from the BBC wherever you listen to podcasts. Start streaming at play.xumo.com or download from the app and Google Play stores today.

All you can stream with Zumo Play. This is Our American Stories and it's National Police Week all week this week. And it's been happening in this country since 1962 and not nearly enough folks in the media cover this. We do and we honor all of our first responders in this country and of course our men and women serving in uniform all around the world.

And we particularly pay homage to the people who have paid the ultimate price for their service. In late July 2018 in Kent, Washington, a disastrous combination of 15 and 16 year olds, alcohol and guns resulted in a teenager leading the police on a high-speed chase hitting speeds of 95 miles per hour at night. Police officer Diego Moreno got in front of the fleeing truck and laid down spike strips to stop the dangerous chase.

After the speeding truck spun out of control, Moreno was accidentally struck and killed by a pursuing police vehicle. A week later thousands from across the country gathered to celebrate Moreno's life and the procession stretched for over six miles. His widow wanted everyone to see her goofy big-hearted husband as she did. I'm Shelly, Diego's wife. From what you know about Diego and the way we have honored him today, it's easy for you to see that Diego loved police work. But there's one thing Diego loved more and that was being a daddy. Although it was police work that ultimately took Diego from us, it was police work that allowed him to be the father that he was while he was here. Diego worked late swing which rewarded him with daytime daddy shift. My phone used to ding every morning at work and I would take it out and find multiple Instagram messages of riotous singing and dancing in the car while waiting in the parking lot for school to start. Then without complaint of his five hours of sleep, he would walk our daughter to class and stand in line with her until he saw her safely in the classroom.

Then 40 minutes later my phone would ding again as the process started all over again at preschool. To say he was protective was an understatement and he loved his children fiercely. When Diego's boots were unlaced for the final time, more evidence of fatherhood excellence was found.

A fresh pedicure in primary blue. Diego had taken our daughter for petties just last week and she got to choose his color. He was impressed that the lacquer made them so shiny. Diego's childish enthusiasm for life was contagious. When playing sidewalk chalk, he wouldn't just draw with the kids.

He'd help them make our dog Wally into a pink striped zebra. And this week when many of you stopped by you asked what is wrong with your dog? And I replied with the standard answer you all know so well, Diego.

And no more explanation was necessary. A few months ago he and our son went to get a fresh cut with his cherished hairdresser who I had bribed on many occasions to make a mistake on his hair. Afterward as a reward for a job well done in the chair, he took our son to pick out a new toy, a three-foot Nerf sniper rifle with a six-round magazine capacity and multiple magazines. It has been open season on me ever since with Diego as their platoon leader.

I now have a four-year-old with a two-second reload time and a daughter that can apply a tourniquet. A speech about Diego would be incomplete without mentioning his affinity for food. My skinny fat kid Diego has passed his tradition on to his children.

That's my daughter's sushi set Barbie stuff down there. Our children are young and their future memories of their father will be few and faded. But Diego left so much of his larger than life character with all of you and I ask that in the coming months and years that you join me in helping them remember. Next up one of the people who will help the Moreno kids remember their dad and that's his long-time police partner who recently switched uniforms to become a firefighter. My name is Matt Mullenix I was a city of Kent police officer for eight years and I got hired about the same time Diego did and I can hear his voice now saying what the hell is a firefighter doing talking at my service. We talked about this day coming if it ever came and Diego always said I don't want you guys sitting in a chair staring at the corner.

I want you guys to celebrate. My first impression of Diego was made before I even met him. I had just graduated the police academy myself I'd just been on the street for a couple of months and I heard about this hard charger this young guy that we just hired very promising prospect halfway through the academy blew his knee out and that's a career ender a lot of the time.

I've done it and instead of having surgery to fix his knee and finishing the academy later like a normal person would do. Diego slapped a knee brace on his leg and finished the rest of his academy with a blown out knee completing all the physical and academic requirements and then he got his knee fix. That was my first impression of a man that I am honored to call my best friend who was a co-worker good lord. When Diego healed up we were assigned to the same beat and we were beat partners for many many years. Diego lived his life at a thousand miles an hour with such a fierce intensity I've never seen anything like it I don't know how he did it. He would walk into the break room at work and whether you knew this man for 10 years or 10 seconds he would immediately infect everyone in that room with that energy. He'd take a lap around the break room he'd crack a joke sit on someone's lap make them extremely uncomfortable. He'd inhale a burrito or a donut as fast as humanly possible and then one of us would get dispatched to a call and through his mouthfuls of carne asada and delicious pastry he and out on top of that his Venezuelan accent which made it difficult to understand him in the first place he would key up his radio his call sign was 2 king 5 6. He'd key up his radio and say 2 king 5 6 that unit is about to secure we're about to go home I've got it show me en route and then he'd do a little dance and he'd go out of the room and he'd go to the call. That's who Diego was as a co-worker to me and to so many of us. As a friend when Diego and I began to hang out more outside of work we'd text each other hey what are you doing right now what are you doing later today what are you doing tomorrow this weekend. Whenever he texted me first the message always began with a hey and then a word that rhymed with swat and after about the 30th or 40th time that he called me that I said hey is there anything wrong with you saying what's up buddy how's your day going what are you up to and it seemed like before I'd even sent that message he had responded with about four or five more very creative ways of using that same term and so I thought you know this is just Diego this is a term of endearment and I thought that for many years until last week when I was reminiscing with some very close friends and co-workers and I just mentioned you know I always thought it was funny how do you call me that name or that word and I'm sure he called you the same thing and everybody got me a really weird look I said no Matt Diego liked us I think you were a special case and even now buddy after you're gone you're still making me feel special as a father Diego and Shelly were kind enough to allow me to be a part of Peyton and Adrian's lives pretty much since they were born I was always in awe on how he was able to amplify that intense and fierce energy that he lived his life with whether it was work or play and by a thousand fold with Shelly and the kids put that energy back into them I don't have kids of my own I don't have kids of my own but I always told myself that if I ever had a kid if I could be half the dad Diego was I would be a resounding success and maybe I set the bar a little high for myself even at half but that's the kind of dad Diego was so I'll close with this Diego I'm now talking directly to you you always had our bags buddy whether we knew we needed a back or not we'd turn around and there you were and I make this promise to you and to you Shelly that the people who are the most important to you in this world your family will want for nothing ever until my dying breath I promise you both that and you are the most important to me until my dying breath I promise you both that and just for you buddy I've got one last radio transition in me as a cop to king five four to two king five six I know you're ready to secure and you're going home you can clear we've got this and my goodness it doesn't get more beautiful than that folks men that way in public you always had our backs buddy and we can count if we're lucky a few people in our lives who always have our back we've just heard from a bride and a partner national police week officer Diego Moreno of the Kent police department in Washington state this is our American story I'm Katja Adler host of the global story over the last 25 years I've covered conflicts in the middle east political and economic crises in Europe drug cartels in Mexico now I'm covering the stories behind the news all over the world in conversation with those who break it join me Monday to Friday to find out what's happening why and what it all means follow the global story from the BBC wherever you listen to podcasts zoom will play is your destination for endless entertainment with a diverse lineup of 350 plus live channels movies and full tv series you'll easily find something to watch right away and the best part it's all free love music get lost in the 90s with I heart 90s dance away with hip-hop beats and more on the I heart radio music channels no logins no signups no accounts no hassle so what are you waiting for start streaming at play.xumo.com or download from the app and google play stores today all you can stream with zumo play this is Malcolm Gladwell from revisionist history eBay motors is here for the ride with some elbow grease fresh installs and a whole lot of love you transformed a hundred thousand miles and a body full of rust into a drive that's all your own brake kits led headlights whatever you need eBay motors has it and with eBay guaranteed fit it's guaranteed to fit your ride the first time every time or your money back plus at these prices you're burning rubber not cash keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusion supply