Friends, Family reflect on Officer Kennis Croom's life.

On Thursday, the life of Meridian police officer Kennis Croom was honored and celebrated through a memorial at Merdian High School

Family, friends, and multiple law enforcement agencies all gathered to pay respect to officer Kennis Croom.

“Today was a sad occasion, but it was also a happy occasion. It was sad because we were losing, we lost an officer in the line of duty. It's a happy occasion because we have such great memories of Officer Croom that we'll never forget and that these officers will cherish forever”, stated MPD Police Chief Deborah Young.

Throughout the memorial loved ones remembered officer Croom as being ready and willing to do anything for his community.

“He made sure we were safe to serve because if we hadn't been safe, we couldn't have served”, said Fannie Johnson, executive director of Love’s Kitchen. ‘“When it got quiet or got busy, he was all about doing whatever needed to be done. He wanted to get out in the community. He wanted to meet the youth groups. He said, “I want to take the kids here. I want to do all these things.” At the end of the day, he could come back and focus. He would say, " You know, I got all these dreams and aspirations, but today is about keeping this kitchen, workers, and clients safe. ”

A friend and fraternity brother of officer Croom described him as selfless.

“He was always a very jovial guy. We had a lot of great times together. We really began to get a little bit closer when he came to our fraternity. So, I will say that we've definitely been robbed of a great man who was very selfless. Very selfless. That's the word that I would use to describe him. He never thought about himself. It was always about other people”, explained Thomas Davis Jr.

Officer Kennis Croom’s services will continue through Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.