Public memorial set for slain Lorain police officer Phillip Wagner Wednesday in Cleveland
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Community members can pay their respects to Lorain police officer Phillip Wagner, who was killed in the line of duty, at a public memorial on Wednesday.
Wagner, 35, was one of three officers ambushed and shot by a gunman on Wednesday, July 23. He died Thursday, July 24, at a hospital, according to authorities.
His Wednesday, July 30, funeral at Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland is only for family members and fellow police officers. But a public memorial is set to begin later, at 11 a.m. at the arena.
Officer killed in Lorain shooting described as 'true hero'
Members of the public are being asked to enter through the Cliffs Entrance at the corner of Huron Road and East 6th Street, beginning at 10 a.m., according to a Monday news release from Lorain police.
The recommended parking garage is the Metropolis Gateway East Garage at 650 Huron Road E.
North Ridgeville police are preparing for the procession carrying Wagner to the funeral that morning.
It's set to begin at 7:30 a.m. at Liston Funeral Home, 36403 Center Ridge Road. It will head to Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland, where a funeral is set for his family members and fellow officers, according to the man's obituary.
The procession route is expected to head east on Center Ridge Road, then turn south on Lear Nagle Road, then turn east on Lorain Road and get on Interstate 480 East, according to a Monday Facebook post from North Ridgeville police.
'Traffic along the route will be maintained; however, intersections will be temporarily closed as the procession passes to ensure safety and respect for the fallen officer,' reads the post.
Center Ridge Road is set to be closed from Stoney Ridge Road to Maddock Road at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, to allow vehicles to stage for the procession, according to the post.
'We ask for patience during this time, and we extend our gratitude to our community for your support in honoring Officer Wagner's service,' reads the post.
North Ridgeville streets were lined on Friday to pay respects as Wagner was carried to the Center Ridge Road funeral home.
Funeral services announced for Lorain Officer Phillip Wagner
Wagner, a father of three, served in the United States Marine Corps and joined the Lorain Police Department in 2022.
The afternoon of Wednesday, July 23, he and fellow Lorain officer Peter Gale, 51, had parked their patrol cars at the dead-end River Bend Drive, to have lunch when they were ambushed by a gunman 'laying in wait' with an 'arsenal of weapons,' said Acting Police Chief Michael Failing. Officer Brent Payne, 47, responded to help and was also shot.
Both Gale and Payne survived. The gunman was killed in the exchange of gunfire.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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