TULSA, Okla. — On June 10, Dom Alexander was working when he got the call that his dad, Derrick, didn't show up for his shift as a Tulsa Police officer.
"People were just like, hey, he never misses work," Dom said. "Never misses a day of work. So that's how they knew something was off."
WATCH: 'It was very shocking': TPD, family remember Derrick Alexander
Officer Derrick Alexander, a member of TPD for nearly 33 years, passed away that morning. He was 58 years old.
"It was very shocking," Dom said. "Very shocking."
Now a week removed from his passing, Dom reflected with 2 News on his father's impact.
"His legacy is a leader, a coach, a great police officer, an honest police officer," Dom said. "A great father, a great person."
Officer Andre Baul spoke highly of Alexander's time in the department.
"This one was one that hit me really hard," Baul said. "It hit the department really hard. You know if you said 'big Derrick,' everybody knew who you were talking about. Just because he was that guy."
A Booker T. Washington grad, Alexander went on to play football at Oklahoma State. A legacy that continued with his son Derrick, Jr. at the University of Tulsa, and Dom at the University of Oklahoma and eventually the NFL.
"He instilled great, hard work ethic in us at a very young age, and we learned that from watching him on a day-to-day basis," Dom said. "That's one thing that I'll say is he was there, made sure we got everything we need to be successful."
In the department, Officer Alexander was best known for his work with Project Trust, going into local schools to bridge the gap between the youth and law enforcement.
"You go anywhere, any school, any teacher, any administrator that comes across Derrick, they'll tell you he's golden. He was just one of those rare guys, and every time that you had a chance to work with him, come in contact with him, talk with him, you always felt better."
And as Alexander's family honors his life, they're sharing his memory with a community that misses him just as much.
"That's one thing that's keeping our spirits high," Dom said. "The people reaching out and coming together behind this great man."
Officer Alexander's funeral is set for Friday, June 19, at 11:00 am inside the Booker T. Washington basketball field house.
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