Before Mentor started jamming out for their Mentor Rocks concert series, hundreds of community members, many of them dressed in blue, honored fallen officer Mathew Mazany.
"If you would please standup, remove your hats for the next few moments. Thank you," said Mentor City Manager Ken Filipiak to those attending the event.
All the while, Officer Mazany’s brothers and sisters in blue humbly looked on.
Donations were accepted for the family of the officer at all of the beverage stations during the two-hour concert.
"It’s just very sad. It’s very heartbreaking for the community, for his family and for our police department," Mentor resident Ryan Parisi said.
Parisi brought his American flag with a blue stripe to honor Mazany. This flag usually flies at his house year-round, but tonight he took it to the Mentor Civic Ampitheather.
"I just think everyone needs to realize that police officers put their life on the line day in and day out," he said.
Although he didn’t know the officer personally, Parisi said as a Mentor resident for 33 years, he's deeply affected.
"I come from a family of law enforcement, and I just feel like its the right thing to do, to show respect," he said.
Just around the corner from the theater with the concert music still playing faintly in the background, the memorial for officer Mazany continued to grow. Some people prayed, others held loved ones close and left flowers.
A visitation for Officer Mathew Mazany will be held on Sunday, July 1 from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Monreal Funeral Home, located at 35400 Curtis Blvd, Eastlake. A funeral service will be held on Monday, July 2 at 11 a.m. at the Mentor Fine Arts Center, located at 6477 Center St. in Mentor.
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