Officers attend memorial service

In a show of unity as part of the brotherhood of police officers, 43 officers from Costa Mesa and Newport Beach traveled to the Inland Empire Tuesday to attend the memorial service for slain Riverside police officer Ryan Bonaminio.

The officers, 18 from the Costa Mesa Police Department and 25 from the Newport Beach Police Department, were part of a three mile-long convoy that left Orange County early in the morning for Riverside County. They were among thousands of people in law enforcement honoring the 27-year-old Iraq war veteran, who was shot to death while on duty the night of Nov. 7. Newport Beach Police Chief Jay Johnson was among those who attended.

Police said Bonaminio was killed while chasing a car theft suspect into a park. Bonaminio slipped and fell on the wet grass. Police said that the suspect, Earl Ellis Green, turned around and shot Bonaminio, possibly using the officer’s own gun. Green is scheduled to be arraigned on a special circumstances murder charge next month. He is eligible for the death penalty.

—Joseph Serna