Anaheim Ducks to honor SWAT’s Simmons

From wire reports

Article Launched: 03/26/2008 06:51:57 AM PDT

Randall Simmons

ANAHEIM - The Anaheim Ducks will pay tribute to slain Los Angeles Police Department SWAT Officer Randal Simmons and his partner James Veenstra at tonight's game at Honda Center against the Los Angeles Kings. A moment of silence will be held for Simmons and a video presentation celebrating his life and service will be shown. Veenstra will drop the ceremonial first puck. Several season ticket holders donated their tickets and Golden State Foods donated its suite so Simmons and Veenstra's fellow officers could attend the sold-out game, according to Alex Gilchrist, the Ducks' director of media & communications. More than two dozen officers are expected to be in attendance to pay tribute to Simmons, the first SWAT officer to die in the line of duty, Gilchrist said. Officer Rob Melchior, a SWAT member, helped organize the tribute. "It is important for the public to know the sacrifices we make as police officers and Randy made the ultimate sacrifice," said Melchior, a longtime Ducks fan. "Our whole team has been severely affected by this tragedy." Simmons, 51, was shot and killed Feb. 7 in a standoff with a young man who had killed his father and two brothers inside a Winnetka home. The man was killed by other officers. Veenstra was struck in the face by a bullet. "The men and women of law enforcement spend countless hours on the job each day to assure the safety of our communities," said Tim Ryan, the Ducks' executive vice president and chief operating officer and president and chief executive officer of Honda Cent "It will be our pleasure to recognize specifically the efforts of officers Veenstra and Simmons this Wednesday night." The Police Commission unanimously approved a proposal yesterday to name the LAPD's new SWAT headquarters for Simmons.