EVERETT, Wash. — A lot of people in the city of Everett can't drive past the intersection of 10th Street and Trojan Way without thinking about that terrible day.
Few remember it more vividly than Everett police chief Dan Templeman.
"Every day we think about officer Rocha," Templeman said. "We remember him and we honor him."
Officer Dan Rocha was shot to death on March 22, 2022, in the Starbucks parking lot while he was investigating a convicted felon moving guns between two cars.
Richard Rotter was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the killing.
Rocha, a husband and father, was a regular at the coffee shop. He was friendly and well-liked. His memory is everlasting.
"What I remember most about him was his personality," Templeman said. "He was compassionate. He was respected."
While the intersection may still be a source of pain to many in the community, Templeman wants to turn it into a place of healing by renaming Trojan Way as "Officer Dan Rocha Way."
Templeman said the family, mayor and adjacent Everett Community College, whose mascot is a Trojan, are all on board.
"Every time community members or police officers drive by that street they are able to remember him and what he did, what he gave, what he sacrificed," Templeman said.
Templeman showed KING 5 a memorial that will hang in Everett's police headquarters.
It's a solemn reminder of the dangers his officers face every day.
"Every one of our officers that's out here knows that at some point during their shift they could make that ultimate sacrifice," Templeman said.
The chief said Rocha's family is still struggling, more than 18 months after the killing.
"It's gonna be forever," Templeman said. "This is not something that ever ends."
Templeman vows a street sign will not be the end of the road for his dedication to the Rocha family.
"We'll continue to honor officer Rocha forever in this department and support his family," Templeman said.
The name change must still be approved by the city. Everett's Historical Commission is holding a public meeting on Sept. 26.