Loved ones, colleagues gather in Raleigh to honor officer Gabriel Torres
it's called
Thanks
You're so
mountains may be moved into
It's cold
Mhm
Mhm
You may be seated
Mhm
My name is chris and the executive pastor here across
assembly on behalf of our lead pastor and our staff
and other pastors as well as the city of Raleigh
itself in this great state of north Carolina
Thank you for being here today beloved we are here
to honor and celebrate the life of Gabriel Gabe jesus
Torres who came into this life on thursday March 4th
1993 And passed out of it on a Thursday 13
2022
He is survived by his loving wife Jasmine and is
precious and very busy
By the way Jasmine daughter Layla as well as his
mom marissa and dad Carlos and his older brother josh
and his younger sister Giselle
And of course though he's not here his sidekick Benji
While this may be a difficult day it is also
a day to remember and celebrate the life that officer
Torres Gabe lived and to honor him on this day
This is why we are gathered
This is what we intend to do
When King David in the Old Testament wanted to describe
the relationship between God and man
When he wanted to describe the way he felt that
God dealt with him being a Shepherd himself
He wrote Psalm 23 and he said this
The lord is my shepherd
I shall not want he makes me lie down in
green pastures
He leads me beside still waters he restores my soul
he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's
sake
And even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death which is what we're walking through today
he said I will fear no evil
For you are with me your rod and your staff
They comfort me
You prepare a table before me in the presence of
my enemies
You anoint my head with oil
My cup overflows
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life and I shall dwell in the house
of the Lord forever jesus
At the last supper was trying to comfort in advance
His inner circle
And he said this to them in John 16 I
have said these things to you that in me you
may have peace in the world
You will have tribulation
You will have trouble But take heart
I have overcome the world through his death and resurrection
In fact you did that would you pray with me
Lord as we've just read you said that in this
life we would have trouble that we should take heart
for you have overcome the world And Lord we've experienced
some trouble this week
Today as we honor and celebrate the life of Officer
Gabriel Gabe jesus Torres
We ask father that your piece would be present in
the midst of the pain and your comfort would be
with us in the midst of the sorrow Lord we
have more questions than answers
But we trust that even in this tragedy that you
would make your presence known especially to Gabes family and
friends as they mourn his passing May this service be
an act of worship unto you Lord and a reflection
of your love
It may properly honor the man whose life we are
celebrating today
Gabe Torres
It's in the name of jesus
We pray the name that Gabe often spoke of
The name of the one who bled and died for
our sins that we could be forgiven and have the
hope of fraternity made real in our lives
It's in this name the name of jesus that we
pray and all God's people said amen
If you know this song please feel free to sing
along
letters
I find you in history and notions my face
in time
Hi
oceans rise Mayfield rounds
No
and with my trust with let me
in my space
Nice
me where my trust is with
and my faith will be
I feel and
jesus and king eyes above the waves
My soul
for I am yours and do
my
good afternoon
I stand before you humbly given honor unto God who
is the head of my life and the keeper of
my soul
I thank you for the life of our precious brother
Gabriel Torres to jasmine and Leila and the entire tourist
family the city of Raleigh the Raleigh Police department and
the residents of our community extend our heartfelt condolences to
you on the passing of a true hero a hero
who departed this life doing what he loved so dearly
protecting others
And while we are mourning with you in this season
we're also celebrating with the angels knowing that heaven has
ushered in yet again
Another guardian Officer
Gabriel Torres joined the Raleigh Police Department on 22 March
2021 And served until October 13 2022
As we celebrate his life today I'm taken back to
november 4th 2021
At the graduation of the one 23rd recruit class it
was my first class graduation as the new chief in
Raleigh And it was particularly significant for me because I
too had graduated from the 123rd recruit class of the
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department 25 years earlier And for all
those who were born in the 2000s
Yes I'm old
I remember looking at the recruits as they stood at
attention and keying in on recruit Torres and feel an
extreme pride in how he presented himself
He was sharp from head to toe
He had a fresh cut
I'm told that if he didn't have anything he always
had a fresh cut
His jacket was tailored his tie straight badge polished slacks
at the proper length dry cleaned with a straight crease
shoes were well polished
He stood tall shoulders back chin up and eyes forward
proud and strong
A direct representation of our great organization and our profession
I would learn from talking to his classmates and instructors
squad members and supervisors
That what he displayed on the outside was a direct
reflection of what he exemplified on the inside and with
as much effort as he took in making sure he
represented himself and the R
P
D
Well outwardly
He expended greater effort in encouraging others to be the
authenticity of their best self inwardly
Officer Torres was a servant leader a role model a
great example always finding the good in any situation as
a motivation to others
He cared deeply about those around him and pushed everyone
he touched to do their best
He refused to leave another one behind
Even if it meant extra laps extra dead lifts or
extra burpees
God bless them in between calls
When he had downtime he would phone classmates on other
squads just to check in on them always making sure
that they and their families were okay
I'm told he always had an extra something on hand
whether it was a pair of socks a t shirt
an extra flashlight or extra few dollars to share
If someone was in need he will sell them in
a bad mood and if by chance he was his
outlook was tomorrow will be a better day
His positivity was infectious though he had a quiet disposition
I'm told that he was a jokester keeping the air
light making wisecracks on the sly All in good humor
He was proud of his heritage showing up to work
at the academy which is spanish music bumping and teaching
everybody around him a little espanol
He was unapologetic for being a diehard new york jets
fan that's the one area he and I did not
disagree agree perhaps what echoed most audibly about officer Torres
was his love for his family
Jasmine and Leila
You held a special place in his heart
His greatest joys were showing his coworkers pictures of Leila
and telling them what a great wife and mother you
are
Jasmine cooking dinner for you before going to the night
shift was the highlight of his entire day
The person Officer Torres was in the life he lived
as a husband father son Marine and officer of our
great city reflects highly on the badge he wore and
the one we cherish
He has left an example to each of us of
what the world needs more of not those running away
from the challenges of the profession and the inherent dangers
associated with this work but those running in protecting against
the forces that prey and hate those that divide and
destroy Officer Torres answered the call given in Isaiah six
and 8
Which states whom shall I send Who will go for
us Then said I here I am send me to
our brother
Thank you for answering the call moreover thank you for
the courage to go beyond the call
We honor your sacrifice and now we say to you
rest easy your brothers and sisters in the sea of
blue and black will take it from here to jasmine
and Leila
Thank you for sharing officer Torres with us for the
time that we had him
We love you and we stand with you now and
always
God bless you God bless our city and God bless
our country
when he rolls up the sleeves he ain't just putting
on the ritz
Our God is an awesome god
There is lightning in his footsteps and lightning in his
fists
Our God is an awesome God and the Lord wasn't
joking when he could
It wasn't for no reason that he shared his but
his return is very close and so you better be
believing that our God is an awesome god
from some
from
the power
when the sky was starless in the void of the
night
he spoke into the darkness and created the
judgment and wrath he poured out mercy and gracie gave
the south across
I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that
I got some guy awesome
from
is an office from
don't
What is it awesome
No
Mhm Yeah
thank you
Before before I start I'd like to thank I'd like
to personally think every single person in this room those
lining the streets
Those turning those tuning in from near and far those
on duty emergency personnel
Those who prayed and continue to pray
Those who have nurtured our bodies and our souls this
past week
Thank you family and friends who traveled from all over
to be here my neighbors my community the city the
state the nation and even worlds away
Officer Sandy
Captain Harrison who have been my personal angels on earth
the entire Raleigh Police Department and all other agencies
The Northwest District Mitchell's Cross assembly
There aren't enough
Thank you
There are
mm my Gabriel
We were no strangers of distance
Our story revolved around distance
Every chapter of our lives together brought us distance
But this distance this new distance
This one I will struggle with for the rest of
my life
Yeah In September of 2014 we first met and started
dating
We lived an hour away from each other
We drive almost every day or every other day
North New Jersey to Jackson New Jersey and vice versa
We loved each other with towns and cities between us
It was a challenge
A challenge
It was
But we got through it
in 2016 two years into dating You shared with me
how you wanted more for your life
You wanted to be able you wanted to be you
wanted something to be proud of
You wanted to be able to provide for me and
a future family
You joined the Marine Corps
We continued to love each other from States away
A challenge that was but we got through it
Two years later On two June 2018 we got married
and that meant we could finally be together quick
I quickly packed up all my things and moved to
Jacksonville north Carolina
What I didn't know is just two months into living
together
You would have to go away for some NATO training
exercise
That would last two months again
We got through it some months later Early April of
2019
You deployed again We got through it In August 2020
two years into our marriage we had a beautiful baby
girl Leila
Okay I cannot thank you enough for giving me the
opportunity to be a mommy
You are the best daddy
We became new parents during a pandemic
In a separate state from all our loved ones
Just us three
But we got through it
In March of 2021
Our story brought us to Raleigh north Carolina where you
work diligently to become a police officer
And you did it
And I am so so so proud of you
You were so dedicated to your work
I had to beg you to use your time off
Your night shifts were hard
It created distance but we got through it thursday October
13 2022
He's by far the hardest day of my life
Finding you wounded with your life slipping away
It's a pain to hard to deal with
those cracks those cracks that I heard as I was
rounding the corner
Did not make sense at 1st
Oh but I shortly learned what transpired
I tried to save you
I wish I wish I could have saved you
I gave I gave my all to try and save
you
I'm sorry if I scared you I didn't know I
could scream that loud
I didn't know what I was capable of in order
to try and save the life of someone I loved
I don't know where that strength came from
I'm glad
I'm glad you were still with me long enough so
that I can kiss your skin while it was still
warm
Yeah while I could still feel the pulse of your
heart
I hope you heard me
I hope you heard me when I told you I
loved you you'll forever be missed
I'll forever yearn for your touch
But eventually I'll get through it
Don't worry about us
Be in peace
Our family down here is much larger than I'd ever
have guessed
You'd be so amazed
I love you
I really love you
Mhm
We'll get through this
They say sometimes you win
So sometimes you lose some and right now right now
I'm Mhm
Stood on this stage
Night after night reminded the broken
It'll be all right right right now I just
down
But what will I say like I right now See
you through the fire with your
They say it only takes a little faith
Little faith is all I have right now
Be the strength to be able to see
I know you can't with your mighty hand you don't
all my day Jesus
come with me because I know you're able I know
you can
tonight
with my soul is aware
Mhm
You know I wish that being a follower of christ
meant that you didn't have pain
I wish that being a follower of jesus meant that
you had no suffering and I wish to being a
follower of christ especially the pastor meant that I always
knew the answers but I don't I do know this
I know the Lord is hurting along with us here
today and I also want you to know that every
song we've sung was Jasmine's choice
She asked for those songs and Jasmine you've done very
well and I'm very proud of you and I know
that there are better days ahead beyond these dark days
and God's gonna give you the strength for those days
I'm gonna open up in a word in in this
message but I just need to pray for a moment
Father thank you that you're still good
Even when things go bad
I asked you to comfort Jasmine in the years to
come comfort Layla when she begins to understand and be
with his family and be with these officers be with
this city and be with the state we pray and
with our country as well in jesus name Amen who
was Gabe Torres
I didn't know him personally I wish I had he
was among many things
A committed husband to Jasmine
I asked her when I met her I said man
he had a great smile
Was a good looking guy
Is that the first thing you notice And she she
said no she said the first thing she noticed was
his heart to serve and then she noticed he was
good looking right
Gabe was a loving father to Layla was a great
video that Jasmine showed me of him
I think Layla was holding like a popsicle or something
like that and she was trying to eat it and
he wouldn't let her get to it
And there was like this battle and she was giggling
And you could just see even in that 32nd video
how much you love being a father
He was a son to Carlos and marissa and a
son in law to manny and Adelia and a stepson
to Christina and to angel it was a brother to
joss and Giselle and a brother in law to manny
Jr and Damien he's a grandson to juan and I'm
not sure if I'm saying it right so I'm sorry
leonidas Torres and Efren cortes and Christina cuevas he was
a cousin and a relative to I don't know how
many to be honest with you because every time I
hang out with his family there was more of you
He was a marine sergeant who probably served his country
his military awards good a good conduct medal
A national Defense Service medal a global war on terrorism
service medal humanitarian service medal
I'm really trying to give him a run for his
money right now and a sea service deployment ribbon
His military occupancy specialty was an electrician
I actually grew up doing electrical work myself although his
dad told me he really wasn't handy at home with
electrical work after all
Anyway his last assignment was at camp Lejeune in north
Carolina
He volunteered to serve the people of Puerto rico after
the devastating effects of hurricane Maria ravaged the island where
for a time he went without electricity and showered in
a river or bathe in a river
Whatever those friends visited with his relatives he was a
law enforcement officer with the Raleigh Police department a man
who was humble and selfless from all accounts that I've
been told a person that was great with kids A
guy according to his mom and dad who hated school
and like to sleep in when he was younger Richard
told me a story about an epic battle between her
and Gabe trying to get him out of bed where
she was pulling the blankets one way and he was
pulling another way
He was a fan of the new york knicks
Not everybody can be perfect
And the jets again to my point a native of
New Jersey
Jackson I believe a video game player a big tv
T
V watcher a best friend to his dog Benji that
I think Jasmine resents that dog a little bit because
she said I went and got that dog and picked
it up and that dog doesn't even like me anymore
It just likes Gabe and made with a great smile
and his father told me with a very small head
gonna be head
Alright
It's not why words it was dad's words a laid
back person who was quiet and serious with people he
had not met until I got to know them them
them unleash his personality a selfless and humble individual who
thought of others
First a christian who often spoke of jesus and sang
worship songs this is who gave Torres was and in
these few short words there is much more than he
was that time will not permit
But the next question I'd like to talk about is
where is he now Because he's not here Jesus said
something interesting ones too
The sister of a man who had died Lazarus and
she was overwrought with grief and he said to her
I am the resurrection and the life whoever whoever believes
in me though he die yet shall he live and
everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die
Do you believe this You see in christian theology and
christian doctrine in the word of God there's this thought
that that real death is to pass without God that
those who know jesus know the father passed from this
life to the next was one set of billy Graham
that he said one day you'll hear that I have
died
But he said don't you believe it I will be
more alive than I have ever been Gabe
According to that truth that's in the scripture is more
alive than he's ever been
Jesus trying to pre comfort his followers on the night
of his betrayal
Said this
Let not your hearts be troubled
Believe in God
Believe also in me in my father's house are many
rooms
That's the house that Gabes in now if it were
not
So what I have told you that I go to
prepare a place for you and if I go and
prepare a place for you I will come again and
will take you to myself that where I am you
may be also and you know the way to where
I am going and thomas being very practical said Lord
we don't know where you're going or how to get
there Jesus said to him thomas I am the way
And the Truth and the Life No one comes to
the father except through me
If you had known me you would have known my
father he said from now on
You do know him and have seen him because they'd
seen jesus where is he now I believe according to
the stories I heard of job's faith he's in his
father's house is an eternity with the Lord because those
who put their trust in christ as their Lord or
leader of their life and savior forgive er have the
eternal life and God's plan is that everyone should go
to heaven
How did he get there Did he get there by
being a good person Well no because the bible says
there's none good no not one I'm not good and
you're not good and Gabe wasn't good either because a
standard that God has as a standard of perfection
He got there by grace
If you took the word Grace G R A C
E
You could have an acronym and it would say this
Grace is God's riches at christ's expense
You see you and I are sinners
If you're looking for the biggest sinner in the room
it's the one talking right now how did he get
there He got there by Grace
God's riches at christ expense in romans it says this
they call it the romans road says for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God
We're all in the same boat and then it says
in romans six for the wages of sin is death
doing things not God's way the wages of death but
the free gift of God is eternal life in christ
jesus Our Lord and then it goes on to say
this that God shows his love for us in that
while we were still sinners christ died for us Romans
10 9 and 10 says that if you confess with
your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead you will
be saved
How did he get there He got there by grace
God which is a christ expense
You see God loves people years ago you know I'm
married I have three killed Children and one of the
basic rules of parenting is don't lose your kids Would
we agree on that 1 And uh I was shopping
with my wife years ago and I had my two
year old daughter Olivia who's now a junior at college
in Lynchburg Virginia that keeps taking all my money and
I lost her
She turned a corner and I remember in an instant
the panic that went through my mind and then the
second thought was my wife's going to kill me which
she did
So I started running through the store yelling my daughter's
name out
Well it turns out she had just gone around the
corner and my panic I had run the wrong way
but in an instant it was interesting
I immediately thought I'm gonna go to the front of
the store I'm gonna ask you to lock the doors
I'm gonna call the police and nobody's leaving till I
find my daughter why do I tell you that story
Because when I found my daughter I heard the spirit
of God speak to me and say chris you know
that panic you feel about losing your daughter Olivia said
that's how I feel about people who don't know me
God loves people they matter to him and that's why
he sent his son to pay the price for our
sin
How did he get there He got there by God's
grace
Now here's a hard one
Why did God let it happen I don't know I
know there's a very little of life that we actually
control
The older I get the more true that becomes C
S
Lewis said that the problem of pain is inescapable its
effects profound
No one can deny it
Many use it as a way to remove God from
reality
It fuels the flame of doubt and sometimes undermines the
believer's faith
It empowers the Atheist argument to be a follower of
christ and to live in the world
One must determinedly intentionally face the issues and difficulties that
lie inherent and obvious in the problem of pain
He went on to say that God cannot grant free
will to humanity and not grant free will at the
same time all the time and in the same way
to everyone or else we would not have free will
when I go through situations like this I think of
a quote from C
S
Lewis he said we are not in these challenging moments
necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us
We are wondering how painful the best will turn out
to be
Why did God let this atrocity happen
I don't know what I do know is this God
is completely good
He is completely powerful and just in pain and suffering
exist
Maybe a better question is is this life all there
is because the word of God says that when we
get to eternity there will be no weeping or mourning
no shedding of tears and that God will make all
the injustices right
What's happened here is an injustice and jasmine
I don't understand it and I wish that Gabe was
still with us
But I do know this that even despite this God
is still good and he's going to carry you through
this
Will we see him again That's a good question
When my grandmother passed away many years ago I was
in 1991 I was a sophomore in college
She was a godly woman named Vivian Weller stood about
shoulder height to me Started a Christian school in upstate
New York is where I get this lovely nasal tone
voice from one of those Yankees ruining the South
I know 95 goes both ways
I've heard it all and no I don't live in
the contrary area of relocated Yankees although I do have
family that does
But I remember her passing with vividness and I remember
knowing that I would see my grandmother again because my
grandmother had placed her faith in christ So if you
know christ yes you will see Gabe again because I
believe that he knew christ to the family
I'd like to say this
It hurts so much because you love Gabe so much
as he loved you
I pray that the Lord will hold the memories of
Gabe close to your heart and know that through jesus
this is not goodbye forever
But just for now to jasmine and Leila on behalf
of a grieving city we are sorry for your loss
We love you and we are praying God's grace and
peace and strength for you both the Carlos and marissa
johnson Giselle manny and Adelia Manny Jr Damien Angel Kristina
into the all of the family and friends of Gabe
words do not suffice to bring the comfort our hearts
would so desire
We as a community are sorry for your loss
We love you and we are praying for God's grace
and peace and strength for you all
You please remain standing
Let's pray
dear Lord you are the father of all mercies who
cares for all your people with an everlasting love
You are the God of all comfort who consoles all
those that are suffering the death of a loved one
You are the God of all peace who has promised
to pour your perfect peace into the hearts of your
Children who are going through the pain and suffering
That the loss of a precious loved one brings Lord
I pray for God's family and friends that you would
become their strength in this time of loss
Their hope in this time of bereavement their joy in
this time of sorrow and their perfect peace in the
turmoil that their hearts must be facing
Thank you that the sting of death has been broken
forever and the curse of the grave has been destroyed
through the death and resurrection of our Lord jesus christ
who was broken forever
Who has broken forever the power of death and hell
for all who trust in the name of the only
begotten son of God Lord I ask that you would
speak into the hearts of all your Children that are
mourning the loss of Gabe and let them not mourn
as those that have no hope but Lord for those
that do not yet know you as the savior who
died for them
So that by believing they might have everlasting life we
pray that they will come to know and accept you
as their savior and find their perfect rest in you
like Gabe did in jesus name
We pray and everyone said if you'll please remain standing
for the end of watch call and then after that
we will wait for the Raleigh police to move into
formation and escort officer Torres and his family out of
the sanctuary Raleigh to David 1 14
Rally to David 1 14
Raleigh Calling David 1 14 Officer Gabriel Torres
This is the last call for David 1 14
We thank you for your dedication loyalty and exemplary service
to the Raleigh Police Department the citizens of Raleigh and
the United States of America
You have made those you served and your family proud
Although you are gone you will never be forgotten rest
in peace
Our brother End of Watch Thursday 13 2022