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Politics & Government

UPDATED: Fenton Mourns West Bloomfield Police Officer Killed in Duty

Funeral services for Officer Patrick O'Rourke, 39, of Fenton, will take place at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church on Friday morning.

Patrick O'Rourke may have been known as a respected police officer in West Bloomfield, but the people in his hometown of Fenton also remember him as faithful churchgoer and good citizen.

David Harvey, a priest a in Fenton, remembers the slain police officer as a family man.

Harvey performed the wedding ceremony for O'Rourke and his wife, Amy. He also performed Baptismal Masses for their four children, three girls and a boy. The youngest, the O'Rourkes' son, had his Baptismal Mass in January. The second-oldest daughter received her First Communion on the same date.

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"I was very involved in their marriage," Harvey said. "He was a very, very faithful parishioner here."

was a 12-year veteran of the He was shot and killed on in the line of duty.

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Fenton City Councilman Ben Smith said O'Rourke's ties to Fenton show how small the community is.

"We're all connected," he said.

Fenton Councilwoman Pat Lockwood said O'Rourke's death is a tragedy for the entire community.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the family," she said.

The funeral mass for O'Rourke will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. John's Catholic Church.

Visitation will be 2-8 p.m. on Wednesday and 2-8 p.m. on Thursday at the Highland (Township) Chapel of the Elton Black and Son Funeral Home at 3295 E. Highland Rd.

A rosary service will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home.

O'Rourke will lie in state at the church on Friday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. Rite of committal will be in St. John's Cemetery, Fenton.

To leave a message for the family, visit eltonblackandsonhighland.com.

in front of the , 4530 Walnut Lake Road Tuesday night at 7:45 p.m.

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