As darkness fell over Chinatown, more than 500 Honolulu Police Department officers and other law enforcement people from around the state formed a sea of blue along Maunakea Street on Friday night as they waited to pay last respects to officer Eric Charles Fontes.

Fontes, 45, died Sept. 13 when he was struck by a pickup truck beside Farrington Highway near Ko Olina while assisting another officer during a routine traffic stop.

About 1,000 people attended the funeral service at Borthwick Mortuary for the officer described repeatedly as deeply spiritual and an inspiration.

Several paying tribute to Fontes noted that because he was older than other recruits when he joined the police force, he brought with him life experiences that made others look up to him.

Officer Scott Nakasone, a member of Fontes’ 2005 recruit class, remembered himself as grumpy and bossy but that those qualities didn’t stop Fontes from wanting to be his friend.

"Eric was a bridge-builder. Eric was always inclusive, never cliquish," Nakasone said.

Fontes invited everyone to join his recruit study group and was voted the most inspirational member of his class. Last weekend, that recruit class held a fundraiser to help with costs associated with bringing Fontes’ family members over from Molokai for the service.

"He was inspirational then and he remains inspirational today," Nakasone said.

Capt. Ryan Borges and Fontes formed a prison ministry team for New Hope Christian Fellowship. The two visited inmates every Sunday and Tuesday at the federal detention center where they held Bible study.

"A lot of people, including cops, used to tell Eric, ‘Are you crazy? You’re a cop — why are you going in there to talk to criminals, inmates and bad people?’" Borges told people attending Friday’s service. "Eric’s answer was that he was just being obedient to God because he believed that by going into the prison, he was actually fighting crime. He was going in there and reaching these people at a point where he could plant the word of God in their hearts."

Two days after Fontes was killed, Borges went to the federal detention center to visit the prisoners they had been ministering. "What I saw in there was unbelievable," Borges said. "I witnessed inmates openly weeping for a fallen cop. Eric had that much influence with these inmates.

"He gave them hope in the future. … He was a light in a dark place."

Borges said it was Fontes’ dream to establish a peacemakers’ ministry among law enforcement officers. Borges said that dream will still become reality.

A series of law enforcement officials — including Honolulu Fire Chief Kenneth Silva, FBI Special-Agent-in-Charge Frank Montoya Jr., U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni, U.S. Marshal Gervin Miyamoto and state Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Darryll Wong — joined HPD officers, Police Chief Louis Kealoha and Mayor Peter Carlisle at the service.

At 9 a.m. Wednesday officers will hold a pass and review in salute to Fontes in front of HPD’s Alapai Street headquarters on the sidewalk fronting South Beretania Street. Officers will line up on the Beretania sidewalk to salute and pay final respects to Fontes.

Fontes is survived by wife Li Ann; daughter Corie Li (Charlie) Stephens; son Layne Hironaka; mother Lottie Haia Burrows; stepfather Leslie Burrows; stepmother Ann Fontes; sister Leah Burrows-Nuuanu; brothers Aaron Fontes, Leslie Burrows Jr., Leonard Burrows, Derek Fontes and Donald Rangasan; and three grandchildren.

Separate funeral and burial services will be held Oct. 8 on Molokai, where Fontes was born and raised.