Their cars are painted different, their uniforms don't look the same, but they are all one brotherhood.

Tuesday afternoon hundreds of police officers from at least four different states gathered in Boone, North Carolina to honor Deputy William Mast, Jr.

"Anytime an officer is killed in the line of duty, it is a tragedy," says retired Catawba County Sheriff Dave Huffman.

Deputy Mast was the first officer his department ever lost in the line of duty. He was shot and killed while answering a call the morning of Thursday, July 26.

Tuesday morning, all of the department's officers walked together to escort his casket into the church.

Regina Alford knew Deputy Mast before he wore a badge; he was her student. "He had eyes that would light up the room," says Alford.

She also taught his wife. The high school sweethearts were expecting their first child in four weeks.

More than 2,000 people were expected to attend the funeral.

Kathy and Cleve Jones went to church with him. "He was a good man, just got saved three weeks ago, God was getting him ready," says Jones.

As the rain clouds parted, the caisson slowly made it's way across the hill. The only sound was from the horses' hooves pulling the fallen deputy to the church.
The processional paused to allow Deputy Mast's wife to walk the final leg of the journey with her husband, along with the support of hundreds of his fellow officers.

Deputy Mast was laid to rest in his family cemetery in Watauga County.

The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing. The officer who answered the call with him and shot the suspect served as a pallbearer.