LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Family, friends, and fellow officers of Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Officer Zach Cottongim are preparing to lay the fallen officer to rest. 

What You Need To Know

  • LMPD officer Zach Cottingim is being remembered

  • The officer was struck by a vehicle while working on an interstate

  • Cottongim was the son of an LMPD officer

  • Funeral services will be held Wednesday at Southeast Christian Church

A visitation was held Tuesday for the officer who was struck by a vehicle while working on an interstate. 

Kathy Baker and Becca Herring met Officer Cottongim four years ago through his then-girlfriend. 

(LMPD)

The work friends became more like family. The two celebrated the couple’s marriage and the birth of their two sons. 

“They all seem to be such a very, very close-knit family loving, loving husband, a loving family, two small children that they loved and they were adored by everybody,” says Kathy Baker, a friend of the family. 

On Saturday, Dec. 18,  the family was changed forever. 

Police say Cottongim was on foot investigating a car on I-64 West near Mellwood Avenue when he was struck by a motorist.

Cottongim was transported to UofL Hospital with serious injuries and died later that day.

“It's just a sad, so sad loss,” says Baker. “This is just a senseless tragedy for something like this to happen to someone so young and so dedicated,” says Baker.

Cottongim is the son of an LMPD officer and his wife is a civilian worker within the department. 

Friends remember Cottongim as a person dedicated to protecting and serving his community and family. 

The Cottingim family (LMPD)

“Zach’s legacy, of course, is his work with the police department, but I think the legacy that we witnessed would be his love for his family, his wife, and his two children,” says Herring. 

Cottomgim’s colleagues and friends are rallying around his family with love and support. 

“We're all standing behind the family with hope, hoping that she knows how much support she has from the department and the community,” says Baker. “They are very thought of and he will be truly missed.”

A procession from Highlands Funeral Home to Southeast Christian Church was held Tuesday morning. 

People were lined up on the side of roads, some with police flags and signs to show condolences for the fallen officer.

About three dozen LMPD cruisers and SUVs were part of the procession.

Cottingim’s funeral service will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 10 a.m. at Southeast Christian Church. He will be buried at Cave Hill Cemetery following the service.