Balloon vigil held for Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer who died in fall
Officer Justin Rivera, 29, died in a fall from the Hudson County administration building in Jersey City.
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Hudson County Sheriff’s Officer Justin Rivera is being remembered after dying in a fall last week.
Family, friends, colleagues and members of the community gathered along the waterfront at Bayonne Park to remember him.
Family friend Kendrix Cantive said they were more than friends, they were family.
"That was my brother. His parents pretty much raised me. We spent the last 20 years talking to each other every day, we grew up together," Cantive said.
Rivera, 29, died last week after falling from a ninth-floor window at the Hudson County administration building in Jersey City.
RELATED: Hudson County sheriff's officer dies from fall through window, authorities say
Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari was emotional when speaking about the young officer and father.
"We lost a family member and we’re all one family so it’s very difficult right now," Schillari said.
Jenny Zhang is a fellow Hudson County sheriff’s officer who worked alongside Rivera.
"I did not think that this many people would show up. The amount of love, that just shows you how much people loved Justin,” Zhang said.
Rivera’s family, visibly emotional, made their way through a sea of red, blue and black balloons, the officer’s favorite colors, as they greeted family and friends who came to pay their respects.
The investigation into what led to the fatal fall continues.
There will be a viewing at Migliaccio Funeral Home in Bayonne on Thursday evening, and funeral services will be held on Friday.
