HOLLY SPRINGS, Ga. — Three days after Officer Joe Burson was killed during a traffic stop in Holly Springs, family, friends, and law enforcement officers from agencies across Georgia joined together at his visitation at the Lakeside funeral home in Woodstock.
"There is no way to comprehend what has happened, it's a community tragedy, it's an unspeakable tragedy... a loss like Joe is going to be impactful forever," said David Stein, a pastor at Revolution Church in Canton. Stein shared that Burson played the drums at some of their Wednesday night worship services for students.
"That was the remarkable thing about Joe, he wasn't set by a thermostat- he was the thermostat in the room," said Stein.
By all accounts, Burson was a Police Officer who loved his country, and his family, and held strong to his faith.
"Joe took his last breath here, but his next breath was with his Savior...it doesn't mean there isn't grief here, it doesn't mean there isn't pain here," said Stein.
But Stein said that faith can help bring hope and help to those left behind long after they've said goodbye.
"There's a hole that can never be filled in Mary Kate's heart, so as a community we need to rally around MaryKate, not today and tomorrow, but next month and the month after and the years after," said Stein.
The funeral for Officer Burson will be on Monday, June 21 at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Woodstock.