A funeral service was held Thursday for a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant who was killed along the 405 Freeway in Bel-Air last month while helping a stranded motorist. 

Sgt. Shiou Deng, 53, was remembered for his sacrifice, kindness and sense of humor during the funeral at Forest Lawn -Covina Hills Mausoleum in Covina.

The service took place as his family members gathered with his friends, colleagues as well as LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and Mayor Karen Bass.

McDonnell said, while recalling Deng’s “bright smile and a hearty laugh that killed the room,” the 27-year LAPD veteran showed patience and compassion when serving the public, especially during his time with the LAPD’s Mental Evacuation Unit.

“That assignment takes a very special kind of person, somebody with patience, somebody with compassion, and somebody who could show up during someone’s worst moment and bring calm to the chaos,” McDonnell described. 

While recalling humorous moments Deng created while working with LAPD colleagues, the LAPD chief said Deng always found ways to lift people up.

“Even now, he’s still making people feel good,” McDonnell said. “Sgt. Deng lived his life the way most of us wish we could with kindness, with humor and with purpose.”

Mayor Karen Bass called Deng a “real leader” who cared about his officers and others.

“He was the gold standard of selflessness, the generosity and the care of the thousands of the Los Angeles Police Department officers who put their lives on the line in the service of others,” the mayor said. 

“We will always honor his memory and make no mistake this day and every day the city of Los Angeles stands with you,” Bass added.,

According to the California Highway Patrol, officers from the agency’s West Los Angeles office responded to the southbound freeway just north of Moraga Drive, initially in response to a single-vehicle crash. 

“Officers found a Toyota pickup … disabled in the HOV and No. 1 lanes,” according to a CHP statement. “Shortly after the crash, LAPD Sgt. Shiou Deng arrived in a marked patrol vehicle with emergency lights activated and stopped behind the Toyota, partially blocking the same lanes. As Sgt. Deng exited his vehicle to assist … a Nissan sedan, driven by Mario Bickham, struck the patrol vehicle and then hit Sgt. Deng.” 

Garcia, the driver of the Toyota, was standing outside his vehicle and was also struck. He died at the scene. Deng was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, where he was pronounced dead.