Blue ribbons tied along Rocky River drive honor Cleveland Police Officer Vu Nguyen who passed away last week after collapsing during a training exercise.
"I've known Vu for 20 years. He always had a smile on his face," said Cleveland Police Officer Joe Sedlak.
Nguyen came to this country with his family from Vietnam in 1975 during the fall of Saigon, his sister Tam Asher said. She explained that their father was the Chief of Police in Saigon and that her brother always wanted to follow in his footsteps.
"He's a tender-hearted person, kind and gentle," Asher said.
"He loved being in uniform," his partner, Cleveland Police Officer Tony Tomar, said. "He loved being in the community and helping."
Now the community is helping his family deal with their loss. As one of 16 siblings, Nguyen was part of a tight-knit family.
"It gives me a lot of comfort to know my brother was well loved in the city of Cleveland," Asher said.
"I think he would be honored so many people cared about him," his nephew Bac Nguyen said.
The 50-year-old leaves behind a wife and two daughters.
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