Austin “Zade” Abdelnabi will be remembered for many things, according to those who knew and loved him.

The slain Las Vegas police officer was a loving family man and decorated Marine veteran. He was also lovably stubborn and never hesitated to tell you what was on his mind.

“He had convictions and wasn’t afraid to tell you,” Ryan Abdelnabi said at his late brother’s funeral service in Henderson on Friday. “He cared about his family, he cared about his friends and he cared about the people he served with.”

Hundreds of law enforcement personnel and members of the public gathered at Central Church, near Interstate 11 and East Russell Road, to pay their final respects to Abdelnabi, a Metropolitan Police Department officer who was gunned down this month in what police said was an ambush.

Before the service, a large procession of police and first responders wound its way through the Las Vegas Valley, including down the Strip, where multiple hotels displayed Abdelnabi’s photo on their marquees.

Abdelnabi, 30, was responding to a call about a man waving a gun near the 4500 block of East Tropicana Avenue on Aug. 4, when gunman Angel Lucas Lindsey, 21, opened fire near the 5400 block of Mountain Vista Street, near Interstate 11, Metro officials said.

Abdelnabi was shot eight times and was rushed to University Medical Center, where he later died, police said.

Lucas Lindsey died at the scene after Metro officer Enrique Molinet shot him in the chest and he suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Undersheriff Andrew Walsh said in a news conference.

Before joining Metro in 2023, Abdelnabi, who was born in Greenville, South Carolina, had served in the Marine Corps and graduated from Clemson University.

Longtime friend Dallas Little said he and Abdelnabi created memories together that he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

“We had so many inside jokes between the two of us, we practically created our own language,” Little said. “That connection we had from the beginning never changed.”

Friday’s funeral procession left Palm Mortuary-Jones at 1600 S. Jones Blvd. at 9 a.m., traveling toward downtown before heading south on Las Vegas Boulevard and then east on the 215 Beltway to I-11 and Central Church.

The church has also hosted funerals for other law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in recent years, including Metro officer Truong Thai, who was fatally shot in 2022, and trooper Alberto Felix and Sgt. Michael Abbate, both of the Nevada Highway Patrol, who were fatally struck by an impaired driver in 2023.

Metro said two of its vehicles in the procession were involved in a crash Friday morning, which hospitalized one officer with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The procession, which consisted of more than 100 police motorcycles and other vehicles, began arriving shortly after 10 a.m. The motorcade was greeted by two Henderson Fire Department ladder trucks, parked near the church’s entrance off Stufflebeam Avenue, that displayed a large American flag.

The procession was also greeted by dozens of uniformed first responders from the military, Metro and several other state and local agencies standing side by side outside the south entrance of the church.

The procession ended shortly after 10:30 when a white hearse pulled up and the officer’s casket was brought inside by pallbearers. An honor guard and officers from Metro’s Southeast Area Command, where Abdelnabi was assigned, followed the pallbearers inside. Abdelnabi’s wife, Sage, and other mourners entered the church afterward.

On Aug. 7, hundreds honored the memory of Abdelnabi at a vigil, where speaker after speaker lauded his bravery, passion and commitment to service.

Pastor Michael Kitchen on Friday called Abdelnabi “the best of the best,” and others praised the fallen officer.

“He wanted to be there for citizens, for the people of Las Vegas that needed help in their time of need,” Metro officer Jeffery Ocampo said. He described meeting Abdelnabi as a recruit and watching him grow into a figure who was respected by those who worked alongside him.

“Austin was proud to be a police officer for our community,” Ocampo added. “He was proud to wear that uniform.”

Gov. Joe Lombardo, who previously oversaw Metro as Clark County sheriff, ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff ahead of Abdelnabi’s funeral. Attorney General Aaron Ford and other elected officials also attended.

Henderson Councilman Jim Seebock, who served with Metro for 30 years, said before entering the funeral that it had been heartwarming to see people from across the valley come together to support Metro and the Abdelnabi family.

“It just reminds you of what they do every day to sacrifice, put their lives on the line for us all,” Seebock said. “So it’s just an honor to come here and pay tribute, pay respects and just appreciate our law enforcement.”

Sheriff Kevin McMahill also thanked the officers who responded to Abdelnabi, performed CPR and escorted the ambulance carrying him to UMC.

The sheriff said that even in the face of tragedy, it is Metro’s job to help those in need.

“Even when one of our own is taken from us, we answer the call,” McMahill said. “We give purpose to our grief by ensuring that Zade’s service, sacrifice and legacy are never forgotten.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X. Staff writer Devan Patel contributed to this report.