Feb 7, 2008 10:18 pm US/Pacific
Slain SWAT Officer Led Children's Ministry
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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LAPD SWAT Officer Randal Simmons led a children's ministry at his church, Glory Christian Fellowship.
Courtesy of Glory Christian Fellowship/CBS
Randal Simmons, a 20-year veteran of LAPD's elite SWAT unit, was known to fellow officers as "the rock."
He was also a mentor to thousands of children, a husband and a dad.
The 51-year-old Simmons was the first SWAT officer killed in the line of duty in the unit's 41-year-history. He was shot to death early Thursday morning during a nightlong standoff at a San Fernando Valley home. Three men and the gunman were also killed.
LA Police Chief William Bratton says Simmons served as assistant SWAT squad leader for the last 12 years. Off duty, Simmons was known as Minister Randy, spending much of his time at Glory Christian Fellowship as one of the leaders of Glory Kids Ministries.
On weekends, Simmons would take out the church's large, converted vans out into housing developments of hard-hit communities like Compton, Carson and Watts to bring a message of love and hope to thousands of children. Retirement was just three years off, after which Simmons planned to start an inner-city football program with his longtime friend, former UCLA football star Bobby Josea.
Simmons graduated from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, then played football at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. He had been married for 17 years to his wife Lisa. They had two children, a 15-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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