ATLANTA (AP) — An Atlanta policeman killed in a helicopter crash is being remembered for his love of flying.
Shawn Smiley was mourned Saturday during a funeral at First Baptist Church Atlanta attended by hundreds of police officers from across Georgia and beyond the state.
He and Officer Richard Halford died Nov. 3 when their police helicopter crashed during a search for a missing boy. The child was later found unharmed.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://bit.ly/UAWTc7 ) that Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed told Smiley's children that their father was a "real and actual hero."
Smiley's friend, Joshua Sanders, said the late officer talked constantly about flying. His last flight was his third with the air unit.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.
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Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com