Thousands of mourners --- including uniformed police officers from all over California --- packed the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on a chilly Friday morning to pay tribute to slain Los Angeles police officer Ricardo Lizarraga, the first officer killed in the line of duty since 1998.

The Cathedral plaza was similarly crowded Feb. 27 with people paying their respects to an officer eulogized as "a neighborhood hero."

"He died as he lived," said Father Tony Gomez, Lizarraga's pastor at St. Augustine Church in Culver City. "He died working to protect someone who needed his help…He lived with dignity and died with value."

Lizarraga, 31, was killed on Feb. 20 while responding to a domestic violence call in South Los Angeles. When Lizarraga and his partner Joel Ruiz tired to search a man accused of harassing his girlfriend, the man fled to a back bedroom and opened fire on the officers. Lizarraga was struck by two bullets that entered just below his body armor.

Reputed gang member Kendrick Johnson, 32, was apprehended after a extended manhunt and charged with the murder but died Feb. 25 of an apparent suicide after he was found hanging in his jail cell.

"LAPD lost a committed and talented officer and the city lost a hero," said Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, one of the many dignitaries in attendance at the first memorial for a fallen officer held at the 18-month-old cathedral.

LAPD Chief William J. Bratton eulogized the young officer as "a great man who chose a life of duty, honor and danger." Chief Bratton also called attention to the rising levels of violence in the city saying, "We as a civilized society cannot accept the current level of violence directed at our officers. It must end."

As violent attacks against LAPD officers have been rising, Bratton and other city officials have sought to call attention to what they say is a severe shortage of police officers.

In remarks at the end of the ceremony, Cardinal Roger Mahony called attention to this problem.

"It is not enough for us to simply say thank you," said the cardinal. "We must do our part as citizens to make sure you have the resources that you need to keep our communities safe. There is no question that we need more police officers on our streets. We can count more murders here than we can our soldiers who died in active war in Iraq. Something is terribly wrong."

Cardinal Mahony urged city council members to make police spending a budget priority, saying it is a necessity for a safer city.

The murder of a good police officer like Officer Lizarraga underscores the extreme difficulty of the job, noted long-time LAPD chaplain Father Mike McCullough.

"Officers working the streets are spit at, cursed at and treated like crap because of the furor the media whips up over incidents like the Rampart corruption," said Father McCullough. He emphasized that "bad" cops are just a tiny percent of the police force, and that those who are hardworking and just out doing their jobs pay the price for the negative media.

"The presumption of some is that LAPD is a corrupt department, but every day I see men and women going out doing their job in an exemplary manner," he said.

By all accounts Lizarraga was one of those exemplary officers who loved his job and went out of his way to help others.

Newton division commanding officer Fabian Lizarraga (no relation) choked back tears as he recalled a young officer popular with and respected by his fellow officers and the citizens of the neighborhood he served.

"I have been asked several time for the past week what Ricardo was like," he said. "As his commanding officer I knew him as one of my police officers who could be trusted to do the right thing in the right way. He was dedicated to his profession of helping people."

Officer Lizarraga's younger brother Jorge recalled a friend, mentor and protector.

"He was my brother and my best friend. He is now also my hero and my guardian angel," he said. "It does hurt to no longer have him in his physical being, but it is comforting to know he is in a better place doing bigger and better things. I love you, big brother, and I'll see you around."