Gas Station Owner Plans Permanent Memorial for Slain Texas Deputy
The owner of a Houston-area gas station where a Harris County deputy was slain late last month plans to erect a permanent memorial on the property.
In the days following the deadly ambush of Deputy Darren Goforth, who was pumping gas into his cruiser on Aug. 28 at pump 8 of a Chevron gas station in Cypress, a makeshift memorial began to grow at the pump.
Christine Bossi, who started the memorial, told KHOU-TV that gas station owners have opened their arms and shut down part of their business to accommodate mourners.
During the hours of Deputy Goforth's funeral Friday, the managers closed down the registers as a sign of respect and customers received items from the store for free.
"Since they have lost so much business, we're gonna ask all the community to come out for a day or for a weekend, come fill up your gas tank," she said. "Come in and buy something from the store."
So far, Bossi says that people visiting the site have donated $192,000 for the Goforth family.
Amjad Latief was the manager on duty the night Goforth was killed. When he heard the gunfire he ducked for cover and hit the automatic door lock because he thought the store was being robbed. He was heartbroken to learn that the deputy -- who was a regular customer of the gas station -- was killed in the brazen ambush officials say Shannon Miles carried out.
He said he and his bosses consider it a privilege to show their support to the family of the slain deputy. "It's our honor because that's a tragic moment," he said.
Bossi said she will keep the memorial up as long as people continue to visit it and bring items to add to it.
