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On Wednesday, D.C. police investigator Wayne David lost his life when a gun he was retrieving from a storm drain misfired.

David, 51, was a 25-year veteran of the force.

His police cruiser, which is parked outside of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Operations Division, has become a memorial, with people placing pictures and flowers as a way to pay respects for the fallen officer.

“It’s important for me to come see how many other people loved him like I did and pay my respects, said Anthony Grant, a friend of David’s.

Grant told WTOP that he was two years behind David at McKinley High School when they attended the school at the same time. The two reconnected 12 years ago when their kids ended up taking taekwondo together.

“He has been a staple in my life ever since then,” he said. “I’ve been over to his house many times, my kids have stayed over there.”

Grant described David as a wonderful person to be around: “He was always laughing and always smiling.”

Even though David was very busy with his work, Grant said he believes that didn’t stop him from being there for his friends.

“He did a lot of overtime, this was his passion — his job. He still made time for me. If he was busy, he’d call you back and say, ‘I was in the field, what’s going on?'” said Grant. “He always made sure to circle back to you if you had a problem.”

While Grant spoke about his longtime friend, he choked back tears: “I’m being selfish because I’m upset. I’m crying, I miss him. He is in a much better place.”

“God called an angel home and he has a great angel right now,” he said through tears.