"He seemed to know a little bit about everything and no matter what you wanted to talk about he was always happy to voice his opinion or listen," said Chief Bratton. "He was just a wonderful presence in the building."
Briggs died last month. He's survived by his mother and his son, David Lee Briggs Jr., a struggling musician from South Carolina.
"I'm going to miss my dad," said Briggs' son. "You know we didn't see eye to eye sometimes, but I knew he was proud of me and he really was supportive of what I was doing."
Though he wasn't a sworn officer, he had the same dedication to his job as the rank and file he shined shoes and belts and leather gear for.
"He'd come to work whether he was feeling good or not and that's a quality that's hard to find in people these days," said Lt. Natalie Williams, LAPD.
When you walked by his stand, his radio would be loud and he always had plenty to talk about. Monday, it was quiet. No music, no conversation, just emptiness, a feeling many of the rank and file feel after learning their Minister of Leather has passed.
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