Kids & Family
Watch: Memorial for Bicyclist Killed on Laguna Canyon Road
Hundreds remembered the life of bodybuilder, police chief, city manager, father and husband Mitch Waller this week.
Story and video/photos by Peter Schelden
On Wednesday, about 800 mourners remembered the life and achievements of James "Mitch" Mitchell Waller, 53, Mission Viejo resident and former Westminster city manager.
Waller was killed while bicycling with a friend on Laguna Canyon Road when a woman driving a Toyota veered into the pair the morning of June 28. Police say the accident is still under investigation.
Husband to Sally née Gouveia and father of Chase Mitchell, 17, and Kiana Malia, 15, Waller was a bodybuilder double-majoring in chemistry and biology before he took the oath to become an officer of the Westminster Police Department.
As a cop, he patrolled the streets on motorcycle and later became Westminster's top SWAT officer. He also studied law at Chapman University, passing the bar in 1999.
His law enforcement career took him straight to the top, where he served as Westminster chief of police. While chief, he oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art police department before being drafted to become city manager in 2011.
He enjoyed retirement in mid-2012 up until the accident.
See video and photos from the Wednesday memorial in which Waller's son Clint remembers his father.
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