SAN BENITO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The body of fallen San Benito Police Department officer Lt. Milton Resendez was escorted back to the city Friday afternoon.
The San Benito Police Department, along with various other law enforcement agencies from across the Rio Granda Valley, escorted Resendez from Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen back to San Benito.
The escort traveled from Ed Carey Drive in Harlingen before heading east onto Business Highway 77 into San Benito.
The roadways were closed momentarily as his body is escorted. Motorists are asked to clear the roadway and find alternate routes if travelling in the area.
“If you would like to show support for the family of Lieutenant Resendez and the various law enforcement agencies we ask that you do so from areas that are off of the roadway and route being traveled,” the post stated.
Resendez was killed in the line of duty in an overnight shooting Tuesday night heading into Wednesday morning. At a news conference held Wednesday, Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz called the shooting a “part two of a criminal episode.”
According to Saenz, an initial pursuit began on South Padre Island, where the occupants of a red truck exchanged gunfire with law enforcement, forcing them to fall back out of concern for safety of citizens. Later that evening, a second pursuit with the same occupants began in Brownsville, heading into San Benito.
While in San Benito, Resendez crossed paths with the suspects, who shot at him while he was in his unit. He was struck in the abdomen and was found unresponsive.
San Benito Police Chief Mario Perea said Resendez served as a police officer for more than 30 years, including nearly 26 with San Benito.
“We lost one of our own,” Perea said. “He worked with us for so long, he’s not just a co-worker, he’s part of our family now.”
Perea said Resendez was loved by his fellow officers and was planning on finishing his career with the San Benito Police Department.
