MELVINDALE, Mich. (WXYZ) — As the community continues to mourn the loss of Melvindale Police Officer Mohamed Said, funeral arrangements are in place, and his old high school plans to hold a celebration of life in his honor.
It was a somber day at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn on Thursday as friends, family, law enforcement and many others stopped by to pay their respects to the fallen officer at his visitation.
Hear from Said's loved ones at the visitation in the video below:
“He has a good heart, he cares about everyone, he cares about Arabs, non-Arabs, he cares about his community," Said's friend and soccer teammate Kasem Almuraisi said at the visitation.
Said is also the heart of Melvindale, being a soccer star that led his team to a state championship and then continued to stop by the school once becoming a police officer.
"He was just like the ultimate liaison officer. He would be parked out front saying good morning to kids as they came in," Melvindale-North Allen Park School District Superintendent Ryan Vranesich said.
Vranesich was Said’s principal when he attended Melvindale High School. Vranesich says in Said's honor, the district is holding a remembrance of life this Sunday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cardinal Stadium, so those that knew him and loved him from school can grieve together. Everyone is welcome.
"Make sure that everybody gets to kind of hug each other and say what they want to say, grieve together, mourn together. Just hoping it will help through the process for all of us," Vranesich said.
Mohamed Said's funeral will take place on July 26 at 11 a.m. at the American Moslem Society in Dearborn.