Memorial for slain officers moved to HP Pavilion

From the Mercury News:

With thousands of uniformed and civilian mourners expected to attend a memorial service for the two slain Santa Cruz police officers, organizers have moved the event from a 4,000-capacity venue in Santa Cruz to the HP Pavilion near downtown San Jose, which can seat up to 20,000.

Santa Cruz Deputy Chief Steve Clark police announced the new location on Friday, saying the change was needed to accommodate the expected uniformed and civilian mourners for Sgt. Loran "Butch" Baker, 51, and Officer Elizabeth Butler, 38.

"Local options simply did not have enough room to hold all the love and support for these officers and would have forced the venues to be split in up to four different locations," he wrote in a statement. "We want to afford everyone the opportunity to honor these heroes and remember them together."

Clark acknowledged that it may be inconvenient for Santa Cruz residents, but "we and the families believe this change provides the best opportunity to properly honor our officers and their families."

Additional details are available in the news article.