SAN ANTONIO – Albert Martinez said a parent of a law enforcement officer tries to prepare himself for the worst news a parent can get.
So when he got a knock at the door at 4 a.m. on Dec. 21, he knew something had happened.
"As I opened the door, two officers were at the door, and they looked at me and I knew that something had happened to Cliff," Martinez said during a eulogy Tuesday at the funeral of his son, slain SAISD Officer Cliff Martinez.
Albert Martinez remembered his son as someone who was always willing to help his father. Martinez recalled the computer, Keurig coffee maker and barbecue pit his son gave him.
"That was the way he was," Martinez said. "He was always there for me. And I know from what I've hard from his coworkers, that if you called on him, he would be there for you."
2 arrested after off-duty SAISD officer killed outside IHOP, police say
Officer Cliff Martinez was also remembered as a protector and the deep love he had for law enforcement. Officer Martinez was working as a security guard at a Southeast Side IHOP that December night when a fight inside the restaurant escalated outside. He was assaulted by two men before they both got into a vehicle and ran him over on purpose, according to the San Antonio Police Department.
"I was proud of my son, knowing that he was protecting people in that restaurant," Albert Martinez said. "I will miss my son. He was there for me. He was there for my family."
Martinez told first responders at Community Bible Church that they should love and hug their family members because you never know "when it will happen." The slain officer's younger brother also addressed mourners.
The funeral service included the retirement of Martinez's badge number, a 21-gun salute and a Eagle helicopter flyover. Dozens of law enforcement officers from various agencies attended the funeral.
SAISD previously announced a new scholarship “as a tribute to the work and life” of Martinez. The Cliff Martinez Memorial Scholarship will honor the fallen officer, who worked in the district’s police department for 28 years. The scholarship will be given to students enrolled in police explorer programs and pursuing a career as a police officer.