Middletown, Md. - Officer Mark Bremer's patrol car, draped in black, is parked outside his place of worship. Inside, more than two thousand mourners came to pay their respects to the husband and father of three who was killed in the line of duty one week ago.

A funeral mass is being held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Middletown at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday and a funeral procession will move down the streets of Frederick in memory of 39-year-old Frederick City Officer Richard Mark Bremer.

Bremer spent his entire career in law enforcement: he worked as a corrections officer in Hagerstown and then with the Frederick County sheriff's department. For the last five years, he's served the Frederick city police.

"A guy who loved his job, who would do it for free, which is what his father told me," Frederick Police Chief Kim Dine, visibly emotional at a press conference on the five-year police veteran's death. "I can tell you, he came to work every day, working very hard... the kind of officer who made over 270 arrests in the last four years."

Last week, Bremer lost control of his cruiser as he pursued a suspect who had fled a traffic stop. His vehicle crashed into an overgrown railroad bed.

Police later identified the man they believe Bremer was chasing: identified as James Frederick Sweeney, who was wanted for violating his probation on a theft charge when Bremer tried to pull him over. He is now facing 16 new traffic charges.

"It's definitely hard, everybody here knows everybody, we are a family," said fellow officer Lt. Clark Pennington.

Today, hundreds of officers traveled great distances to pay their respects. A graveside service will be held at Resthaven Memorial Gardens in Frederick Wednesday afternoon.