The Navy son of a slain Houston police officer stood at his father's casket and gave a salute before his funeral on Friday, Local 2 News reported.

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Approximately 2,000 uniformed officers from all over Texas, including Austin, San Antonio and Corpus Christi, paid their respects to Officer Timothy Abernethy, 43.

Abernethy was shot to death after he made a traffic stop in the 5800 block of Sunforest Drive near West Tidwell Road on Sunday morning.

Military-style pageantry for the former Navy submarine sailor included a riderless horse being led around his casket, a 21-gun salute, bagpipes and an HPD helicopter squadron flying the missing man formation over the funeral in northwest Harris County.

One fellow officer and friend struggled at the podium, sighing and saying, "Oh man, what can I say?"

Lance Gibson, an HPD officer who partnered with Abernethy and was preparing to move with him to bomb squad detail, said, "I miss him.

"He's going to be with me for the rest of this bomb squad career. I'm going to take him along with me," he said.

Brother-in-law Danny Snow, an FBI agent, told mourners, "We should be heroes as defined by the life of Tim Abernethy."

HPD Chaplain Monte Montgomery turned to widow Stephanie and said her husband had come home safely for 11-years of HPD patrols. "Stephanie, I'm sorry he didn't come home this time. But I tell you this, today he is truly home," he said.

The officer's three brothers held hands in a chain as their sister shared laughs and tears with those in attendance. Evelyn Campbell said, "I have many memories of him as a young child, and what stands out to me among those many memories was his exuberance, his joy."

She said the smile from his childhood would come out every time he spoke about his wife and kids.

His father stood with his military service hat and saluted the thousands of officers who gathered in a wall of honor formation to pay their respects.

One fellow officer recounted how Abernethy loved the snow but did not live to see this week's rare Houston snowfall. He told mourners this snowfall is a sign that Abernethy is OK now in heaven.

Investigators said Mabry Landor III fired the fatal shots. He has been charged with capital murder.

Detectives said Landor got out of an SUV, ran though the Luxor Park Apartments and fatally shot Abernethy.

Landor has a lengthy criminal history and was on parole at the time of the shooting. He had a gun with him during the traffic stop, which, if Abernethy had found it, would have been a parole violation, police said.

Abernethy served in the Houston Police Department for 12 years. He left behind a wife and two adult children.