Funeral arrangements announced for fallen Officer Gabriel Facio

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. — A procession and funeral for fallen Apache Junction Police Officer Gabriel Facio will be held on June 16, the Apache Junction Police Department announced Tuesday night. 

Officer Facio died on Sunday, six days after he was shot in the face while responding to a call about a man brandishing a weapon near Ironwood Drive and Elliot Road.   

RELATED: Apache Junction officer dies after being shot in the line of duty

Officers stopped the suspect, who was identified as 37-year-old Roger Nunez, near Radiance Avenue. He got out of the car with a gun, which police said was an untraceable ghost gun. Shots were fired by both Nunez and officers. Both Nunez and Facio were hit and injured. Facio later died from his injuries.   

Facio leaves behind a wife and two children. 

AJPD said a procession and a funeral for Officer Facio will be held on Monday, June 16. 

The procession will begin at 7:45 a.m. at the Apache Junction Police Department, which is located at 1001 N Idaho Road in Apache Junction, and will go west on Superstition Boulevard, which later becomes University Drive. The procession will then head north to Mountain View Funeral Home at 7900 E Main Street in Mesa, arriving at the funeral home at 8:30 a.m. 

Other law enforcement agencies will then join the procession, which will leave the funeral home at 9 a.m. 

Facio’s funeral will be held at Central Christian Church at 10 a.m. on Monday. The church is located at 933 N Lindsay Road.

To get to the church, the procession will travel west on Main Street, then north on Sossaman Road, then west on University Drive, north on Lindsay Road and then will turn into the parking lot of the church.  

The department said the funeral will be open to the public. 

“Officer Facio’s family has been overwhelmed with support and has asked that the funeral services be open to the public,” AJPD said in a press release. “Seating will be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Designated seating will be reserved for all uniformed personnel, and overflow accommodations will be available on-site.”

The department said anyone who wishes to honor the life of Facio can line the sidewalks along Superstition Boulevard/University Drive.  

The funeral will be live-streamed on AJPD’s YouTube channel. To find that, click here.  

A GoFundMe has also been opened for Facio’s family. To donate, click here.  

The Mesa FOP Lodge 9 Charity Foundation has also set up a donation page for Facio and his family. To donate, click here.  

>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.

You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!

The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.

Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.

Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for “12 News KPNX.”

Amazon Fire TV: Search for “12 News KPNX” to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.

Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.