Today at 11:00am (PT), mourners from around the country and the world arrived in Oakland, California for the joint funeral of four police officers gunned down last weekend. Officers Mark Dunakin, John Hege, Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai were killed by a parolee after a traffic stop that turned into a manhunt and gunfight. Law officers and other mourners filled the 16,900-seat Oracle Arena, home of the Oakland A’s and the Oakland Raiders. The service was televised at Oakland Coliseum next door and community centers as well.
Among those chosen to participate in the memorial were The Patten Singers from Patten University, under the direction of Sandi King. As a representation of the religious community of the city, the Singers were the second item on the program performing The Star Spangled Banner, arranged by Dr. David Horton. The Patten Singers were chosen to perform over volunteered celebrities and artists due to their ties with the city of Oakland. Among those speaking were Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and state Attorney General Jerry Brown. City Council, State Senators, and the entire Oakland Police department were also in attendance.
Patten University is an affiliated university of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). Their primary mission is to be a premier Christian university that integrates growing faith and quality learning to inspire and equip men and women for ministry and service to effect community and global transformation. The department of Music Ministries for the Church of God partnered with Patten University to develop this premier traveling group, and produced their first recording which includes The Star Spangled Banner. Both the Church of God and Patten University feel deeply honored that The Patten Singers were selected to take part in an event of this magnitude. The heart of Patten University is in its community and they feel there is no greater honor than to be able to give back to the people of Oakland during such a heartbreaking time.
To View the performance click HERE [1]