DES MOINES, Iowa — Dozens of Iowans and Des Moines police officers attended a funeral on Saturday for former Senior Police Ofc. Phoukham Tran, who died on Nov. 2, 2023.
Tran was well-liked throughout the Des Moines community, including among his fellow officers.
“Ofc. Tran touched your heart in some kind of way," said Sgt. Doua Lor. "That is why you are here today. To honor him.”
His funeral featured speeches from Sgt. Lor, Tran's sister-in-law Mickie Byers and Police Chief Dana Wingert along with traditional Laotian music.
Tran came to the United States from Thailand in the 1980s. When he arrived with his wife, he knew four languages, but none of them were English.
It took Tran many tries on the exam to become one of the first Asian officers in the Des Moines Police Department, but once he passed in 2000, Sgt. Lor became his mentor.
While strengthening Tran's skills together, the bond between the pair only grew over the 30 years Tran served in the department.
His three decades of experience came to an unfortunate halt after a drunk driver hit Tran with a truck outside the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Aug. 19, 2011, while he was directing traffic.
The impact threw Tran nearly 50 feet, resulting in critical injuries. It took nearly a month in the hospital and months in rehab to get him back to his dedicated self.
“Most people wouldn’t have survived that crash," explained DMPD Sgt. Paul Parizek. "It was [Tran's] dedication, and his determination and just the resiliency of his spirit — the same things that made him a great family man and a great cop — are what got him through that.”
Unfortunately, the incident left Tran with injuries that were too serious to return to work with, leading Tran to medically retire.
Tran spent years after the incident with his family and other DMPD officers at his side before his death earlier this month.
Sgt. Lor said Tran is survived by his wife, two children, two grandchildren and his 16 nieces and nephews.
Read DMPD's full memorial post below: