Family, friends and the community she served bid farewell Friday to a Greenville police officer killed earlier this month as she responded to a call.

Gov. Tate Reeves ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Detective Myiesha Stewart, 30, who was shot to death Oct. 11, news outlets reported. Services were held at the Washington County Convention Center at which the Mississippi Highway Patrol Honor Guard along with other state Department of Public Safety officials attended. A visitation was held Thursday, followed by a procession by a “Sea of Blue” through the streets of Greenville.

Sean Tindell, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, and Col. Randy Ginn, of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol, said in a statement that they met with Stewart’s family during the visitation to offer their support and condolences.
“Detective Stewart was a true hero who gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting the men and women in her community,” Tindell said. “We at DPS will continue to provide support and prayer to Detective Stewart’s family and friends during this time.”

In a statement after her death, Reeves said he was saddened by the loss of Stewart and asked for prayers for her family and the Greenville Police Department.

“Her bravery and selfless service to her community will be remembered,” Reeves said. “We are safer because of the tireless commitment of her and police officers around the state to keeping our families safe.”

At an earlier news conference Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons said Stewart exemplified the willingness to be one of the men and women who run to the danger when others run away and the heart and courage she exhibited by putting fear aside to help others.

“The family is hurt. Our community is hurt. No one understands this more than the brave men and women standing here on the steps beside me, the brave men and women who wake up every single day of their lives to protect and serve this community,” Simmons said.

“In her final act, she leaves a legacy of duty, honor, strength, courage and service. An officer who, not so long ago, left the academy and moved quickly up the ranks to become an investigator with the Greenville Police Department. To know investigator Stewart was to respect her, respect her work and to love her as a person. In the midst of this tragedy, and true to her legacy, we rise in the face of adversity.”

Meanwhile, Kamarcus Charles, 29, of Greenville, has been charged with capital murder in Stewart’s death. Bond information and whether he is represented by an attorney was not immediately available.

Stewart graduated from high school in Greenville. She majored in criminal justice at nearby Delta State University, where she played basketball in the 2013-14 season. Stewart is survived by a 3-year-old son and her parents.

Greenville, with a population of about 28,775, is close to the Arkansas state line, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) north of Jackson, Mississippi. News outlets reported that the shootings happened at the intersection of U.S. Highway 82 and Mississippi Highway 1.