Orlando police Chief John Mina posthumously promoted Master Sgt. Debra Clayton to lieutenant Saturday afternoon while thousands were gathered at First Baptist Orlando church for her funeral service.
"You exhibited the best in policing," Mina said. "She urged the people to not give up on our Police Department."
The funeral service began at 2 p.m. and will last until 5 p.m. Clayton’s body will then be taken to Woodlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Gotha, where she’ll be laid to rest.
Hundreds packed the church Friday evening for a viewing, the same church where a viewing was held for Orange County Deputy Norman Lewis. His funeral is planned for Sunday.
As Clayton’s relatives, friends and colleagues filed into the church Friday, they passed Clayton’s patrol SUV, a reminder of her two decades on the force. A few feet away was a parked hearse -- a reminder of Clayton’s sacrifice for the community she so loved.
“You never know when God’s going to call you home,” Gina Riley, a friend of Clayton, said Friday.
Riley said Clayton mentored her niece and occasionally stopped by the family’s home just to chat.
“She was just a good role model,” Riley said. “I know my niece aspired to be like her.”
Clayton died Monday morning after police said homicide suspect Markeith Loyd shot her multiple times in a Pine Hills-area Walmart parking lot.
Police said Clayton confronted Loyd, who was already being sought in the shooting death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon.
Clayton was born Aug. 14, 1974, to Rudolph Thomas Sr. and Yvette Shackelford, and was raised by her late grandparents, Earnest Thomas and Annie Thomas.
The fallen officer, who grew up in Orlando, graduated from Dr. Phillips High School in 1993. She then obtained an associate's degree from Valencia College in 1996.
Two years later, she graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in public administration. In 2002, Clayton earned a master's degree in criminal justice from the school.
Clayton joined the Orlando Police Department in 1999. She was promoted to sergeant in 2007 and earned the rank of master sergeant in October.
Friends said she had recently started a nonprofit to improve relations between police and the community. She was also involved in numerous outreach programs through the Police Department.
Clayton leaves behind her husband, who she married a year ago in Jamaica, and an adult son.
She authored a book titled "Bridging the Gap Between Law Enforcement and the Community."
Clayton and her husband were members of the Winning Souls for the Kingdom church in Auburndale.
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