Randy Simmons remembered on the Web

The life and legacy of slain LAPD SWAT Officer Randal Simmons is not only being celebrated at a massive funeral service today. Stories, comments and other tributes can be found across the Web:

• Someone has posted a YouTube video clip that includes Simmons' brief appearance on an episode of "LAPD: Life on the Beat," a 1990s reality TV show. He appears about four minutes into the video as he walks through a home that has just been raided by police. "RIP Randall [sic] Simmons. Thank You for serving your community," reads one comment.

• Tributes to Simmons also appear in message threads about two of his main interests: religion and athletics. "This has been a rough week," said one post on Crossfit.com, a strength program used by many police departments. "Randy, I will do my best for you big guy." A Christian fellowship message thread on the Long Hair Care Forum includes comments such as, "I just wanted to tell you that I have lost a great friend and brother in Christ. The tear [sic] continue to fall nonstop."

• The Daily Breeze posted a story today about the funeral attendance of about 100 teens Simmons coached at an El Segundo football league. You can listen on KPCC to what several of Simmons' fellow officers thought of him. Meanwhile, the Daily News covered his viewing Thursday and is also blogging at today's service, where Sgt. Chuck Buttitta, who was with Simmons at the shooting, offered his comments.

"His actions were heroic. He performed as he trained and taught others. It goes to what everyone says about Randy," said Buttitta. "He was one of the best officers and we are going to miss him."

-- Jesus Sanchez

Photo: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Mike Hughes]

Live by the sword; die by the sword

[Randy Davis]

How many SWAT team members does it take to get one guy out of his residence? Answer: Several hours after the first 2 SWAT team members and 3 civilians get shot. Good Going, LAPD, you're a joke. This is the biggest fock-up since that pursuit where your cars followed that guy in circles in an intersection and then the north hollywood shootout, which shouldnt have been a shootout. You dumb asses are still under federal supervision from a 1992 fock-up.

[Someone with more respect]

While I respect people's right to free speech, I would suggest that unless Mr. Davis is willing to stand in front of a police officer during a shootout that he kindly shut his mouth instead of disrespecting someone who was killed protecting his sorry a**