On November 20, 2016, Detective Benjamin Marconi was shot in head two times during a routine traffic stop. The 20 year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
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Marconi’s children shared their memories of their father shortly before the funeral which was attended hundreds and included law enforcement personnel from all over the United States. Jacey Lewis, Marconi’s oldest child, reflected on the fact that her father will not be at her upcoming wedding or meet the children she hopes to have. Dane Marconi, the youngest child, has a child of his own but his father won’t be there to watch him grow into a young man.
Lewis and Marconi both agreed that their father used sleep to recover from the stresses associated with his job. “Then he would usually make a really big dinner. He was a phenomenal chef,” said Lewis. Though both children are now adults, they clearly remember the love their father had for them. “A lot of support, a lot of love,” said Lewis.
Detective Marconi was described by his kids as a strong man who continued to put on his uniform every day for 20 years despite the dangers he knew were possible. “He wouldn’t be a police officer if he had qualms about dying in the line of duty,” Lewis explained.
Otis McKane was arrested and charged with the murder of Detective Marconi almost 30 hours after his death. After his capture, McKane said that the shooting was his way of striking out at law enforcement after an earlier arrest. Dane Marconi said that his father would likely have helped McKane if he had been given the opportunity. “If he would have just talked to him he could have changed everything,’ said Marconi.