A somber procession on Tuesday morning snaked its way through downtown Los Angeles as thousands honored LAPD SWAT Officer Robert J. Cottle, who was killed March 24 in Afghanistan while on Marine Corps Reserve duty.

A horse-drawn wagon carries the casket of Cottle along Temple Street toward the cathedral. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times / April 13, 2010)

During a private service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Cottle was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

Cottle's casket, covered in an American flag, was carried in a horse-drawn carriage from Los Angeles Police Department headquarters to the cathedral, accompanied by law enforcement officers, including Chief Charlie Beck.

Onlookers lined some street corners, watching as the procession passed.

Cottle, 45, was traveling with three other Marines in the Marja region of the country, which has been the focus of an intense U.S.-led offensive against Taliban forces in recent weeks.

Their armored vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, killing Cottle and another Marine reservist and seriously wounding the two others, said LAPD Capt. John Incontro, who oversees SWAT operations.

The procession jammed traffic in downtown Los Angeles, as several major streets were closed and many bus lines were rerouted.

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LAPD News Release

Blue Ribbon Trust Account established for Cottle Family