Funeral honors fallen San Jose Community Service Officer Long Tham Pham.
A public memorial service Friday honored San Jose Police Department community service officer Long Tham Pham, who was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver earlier this month.
A public memorial service was held on Friday to honor Long Tham Pham, a community service officer with the San Jose Police Department who was tragically struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver earlier this month.
The funeral service for Pham, 34, took place at the SAP Center in San Jose, drawing hundreds of attendees, including uniformed officers, city and state officials, friends, and family. The department also organized processions to and from the venue in his memory.
Pham’s fellow community service officers (CSOs) delivered some of the most heartfelt tributes. CSO Loretta Terry shared a touching moment when she discovered that Pham’s mother ran a well-known beauty salon.
“I told him, ‘Your mom has been cutting my mom’s hair for years,’” Terry recalled. “He looked at me with amusement, and I said, ‘Do you know what that means? It means we’re family. You’re my cousin.’ And he enthusiastically replied, ‘Yeah!’”
CSO Rene Toledo added, “He was always smiling. It wasn’t always a big grin, but more of a content and happy expression.”
Acting Police Chief Paul Joseph reflected on Pham’s love for his family, noting that it was a driving force in his life.
“Every night after work, Long would come home and share stories from his day, recounting even the smallest details with enthusiasm,” Joseph said. “Spending time with his family was his greatest joy.”
Mayor Matt Mahan also spoke about Pham’s passion for his job.
“He was thrilled to be in a position where he could help others and give back to the city where he grew up,” Mahan said.
The Pham family expressed their deep appreciation for the support they have received during this difficult time.
“The Pham family has asked me to convey their heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support you have shown through these difficult times,” said Sgt. Tam Truong, a family friend.
On August 3, Pham and fellow CSO Veronica Baer were conducting traffic control on Monterey Road in South San Jose when they were struck by a vehicle. Pham was killed instantly, and Baer was critically injured but later stabilized in the hospital.
The driver, 44-year-old Juan Palacios of Morgan Hill, was arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter. Police revealed that Palacios had prior DUI charges on his record.
Pham, who joined the department as a community service officer in October 2022, is the first CSO in the San Jose Police Department’s history to be killed in the line of duty.