Officials, coworkers, residents and loved ones of a San Jose community service officer who was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver earlier this month will be holding a candlelight vigil for him this week, according to San Jose Councilmember Bien Doan. 

Long Pham was performing traffic control duties on Aug. 3 at Monterey Road and Palm Avenue when he was killed after the suspect’s vehicle allegedly collided with a parked CSO vehicle, striking Pham.  Another officer also sustained major injuries but survived.

Police have since arrested Juan Huerta-Palacios, 44, on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI for the death of Pham.  

In honor of CSO Long Pham’s life and service, the office of Councilmember Bien Doan will be holding a candlelight vigil at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Vietnamese Heritage Garden, located at 1499 Roberts Ave in San Jose.  

“This vigil is an opportunity for us to come together as a community to pay tribute to a true hero and to stand in solidarity against the dangers of impaired driving,” said Doan in a statement released by his office on Sunday. “We invite you to join us at this solemn event to honor the memory of CSO Long Pham, support his family, and reflect on the sacrifices made by our first responders every day.” 

Candles will be provided for attendees at the event, but people are encouraged to bring their own if they choose. 

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.