As the evening passed, friends brought flowers and lit candles at a makeshift memorial at the intersection of North Eighth Street and East Houston Avenue - the accident site - in honor of the 39-year-old Camden.
“He was (like) my brother,” said Isen Ismali, crying as he knelt to light a candle.
The 11-year veteran and decorated Temple Police officer died after an accident while working off duty escorting a funeral procession.
Gill Hollie expressed sorrow that Camden died while escorting his mother’s funeral procession.
“I’m so sorry for that man and his family,” he said. “I knew him. I’m so sorry it had to happen like that.”
Camden was escorting the procession from Wayman Chapel AME Church to the Mount Zion Garden of Memories.
“It’s very, very sad,” said Dorothy Murcherson of Hornsby-Murcherson Funeral Home, which was handling the arrangements. “I can’t understand how or why some things happen.”
Mrs. Murcherson said Camden had escorted other processions for the funeral home - and she was touched Friday by how he cared for her.
“He had done a very beautiful gesture for me today,” she said before losing composure. “He helped me down the steps from the church. He escorted me. It’s the last good deed he did.”
Camden was well known by his fellow officers, according to Temple Lt. Edward Best.
“No matter what was going on in life or work, he would smile. … He was always in a good mood. I don’t know how he did it,” he said. “He will be greatly missed - that is an understatement.”
Hollie said he knew Camden through their involvement in the Community Oriented Police Service and through Hollie’s work at the Temple Housing Authority.
“He was real, real friendly,” Hollie said. “He was real soft spoken and quiet. When he talked, he talked with a smile on his face.”
Hollie said he and his family members took flowers to the accident site.
Camden served in the Texas National Guard from 1989 to 1993. He worked as a Belton Police Department reserve officer before joining the Temple Police Department as a jailer in September 1996.
“He wanted to be a police officer for a long time,” Best said. “When he received his commission, I know he was very proud in October of ’97.”
During his time as an officer, Camden received 28 awards and commendations, including the Life Saving Award in 2002 and 2003, the Mayor’s Award in 2001 and was nominated for Officer of the Year in 2006.
For the Life Saving Award in 2003, his actions along with three other officers garnered national attention. Camden’s in-car camera caught their actions as they ran to the burning building at Glen Apartments. He and the other officers stood at the base of the building and caught three children as they were tossed down to them from the second story. They then caught the children’s mother when she jumped, moments before flames were seen coming through the window.
Camden is survived by two sons, Christopher, 16, and Coleton, 8; his parents, John and Ursula Camden of Killeen; two brothers, John and Tommy and one sister, Mary.
Funeral services are pending with Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen.
jsicking@temple-telegram.com
