HUNDREDS gathered this afternoon for the funeral of a man who died after being hit by a police car.
The service took place at Downs Crematorium in Bear Road, Brighton, with around 250 people in attendance in 28C sunshine.
It was for Arthur Holscher-Ermert, 27, who died at the scene after being hit by the unmarked BMW on April 30 near Bramber Avenue in Peacehaven.
The funeral procession passed Arthur’s death site, Bramber Avenue, as well as John Street Police Station in Brighton before the service where cars honked.
The procession enters Downs Crematorium
Older brother Karl, 30, paid tribute to his brother, while family members from Germany and Arthur’s father, Jens Ermert, also addressed the attendees.
Karl told the crowd: “Arthur had a big heart, he touched a lot of your lives, as we all know. We came as a couple.
“Our hearts are broken right now, I’m sure many of you in this room are just as angry as we are. But today is about him and Arthur growing up with you all and living his life with you.
Arthur’s friends and family carry his coffin into the crematorium
“We knew the soul he was, he might have been 6’4″ and a bit of a big guy but he had a heart of gold. We all know that.”
Arthur was an avid musician and even studied it at university. His family played their rap music as the motorcade arrived and also during the service.
The service ended with Eine Kleine Trauermusik which translates to “a little music of mourning”. It was played by Corey Wickens on fiddle as people said their final goodbyes to Arthur.
Arthur, left, and Karl, right, with friends before the Euro final last summer
Karl added: “In his later years it was difficult for him since our mother died. It was a struggle, he was in a dark place. He was just trying to get out of there and find his way back to life. light.
“He found light where there was darkness, he was taken away from us. But we have to keep moving forward, today is not a goodbye.
“We’ll see him again, he’s in a better place than here. This world has been so cruel not only to him but to all of us. It’s not a peaceful world we live in.
Arthur’s hearse
“He should have been my best man when I got married in the future, when I had kids and when he had a kid. I’ll never have that chance, neither will any of you.
“What gives me strength is that he was lucky enough to be with a lot of your children and they know who he is.
“We have the dogs that me and Arthur raised, you will always see them in Newhaven and hopefully it will remind you that Arthur is still around.”
The crowd in front of the crematorium
Reverend Betsy Gray-Hammond, who ran the service, told The Argus: “There was so much love and grief in that room, it was so tangible you could almost touch it.
“I don’t think I’ve seen such a diverse congregation in my life. It was obvious how much Arthur meant to them and how much he would be missed by his friends and family.
“Today was all about dignity, respect and helping family and friends find some peace and hope in a very dark time.”
The service order
Arthur, from Newhaven, was in a brief chase before he got out of his car and was run over by the police cruiser.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating Arthur’s death. The driver of the unmarked police car is being criminally investigated for the offense of causing death by dangerous driving. He was not arrested.
The family laid flowers on Bramber Avenue in Peacehaven after the service.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-06-18 13:23:07