The Mayor and all of the City Council members were emotional in their remarks and unanimous in their support.
Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman explained all of the steps involved in having a portion of Trojan Way renamed to honor Dan Rocha.
This stretch of roadway will be re-named in honor of Everett Police Officer Dan Rocha.
Their vote was unanimous and during their comments, the seven members of the City Council in Everett, Washington spoke with voices choking and tears falling.
Tonight the Everett City Council passed an ordinance renaming a portion of a north Everett street “Officer Dan Rocha Way”.
Trojan Way runs north and south on the east edge of the main Everett Community College Campus between Broadway and Tower Street. The southern portion of Trojan Way between 10th street and Broadway is the stretch proposed for the name change.
After Everett Police Officer Dan Rocha was killed in the line of duty in that neighborhood on March 25th of 2022, Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman began looking into the process of naming a portion of Trojan Way in Officer Rocha’s name to honor his sacrifice.
Mayor Cassie Franklin supported the idea as did Everett Community College Executive Director of Government and Community Relations, Dr. John Olson, who on behalf of the college leadership team and board of trustees, also expressed their collective support for the street name change.
In August, Chief Templeman went before Everett’s Transportation Advisory Committee, where the request received unanimous support from those in attendance. Then, on September 26th, after a public hearing the Everett Historical Commission also voted unanimously to move the resolution forward to City Council.
Tonight with Officer Rocha’s family and friends in attendance, Chief Templeman told the Everett City Council in part, “I am here this evening to seek the support of the Everett City Council to rename the 1000 block of Trojan Way to Officer Dan Rocha Way. I believe that your unanimous vote tonight will send a strong message to not only Officer Rocha’s family, but to the men and women of the Everett Police Department and to the Everett community that you recognize the ultimate sacrifice he made and your commitment to honoring his memory forever.”
No word at this time on when the southern portion of Trojan Way will be officially renamed.
October 11, 2023
Everett Government, Police Blotter