SAN ANTONIO — During a graduation ceremony for 25 Police Department cadets Friday morning, the celebratory mood was dampened by news that officer Robert Deckard had died from a gunshot wound he suffered while on duty about two weeks earlier.
Chief William McManus asked for a moment of silence before congratulating the recruits, some of whom shook his hand while their eyes teared.
The death “made it bittersweet. To be candid, it was a pretty difficult situation,” City Manager Sheryl Sculley said. “Normally for these graduates, this is a joyous occasion. But today, it was somber — a reminder of how difficult the work of a police officer is in a major city.”
Deckard, a 31-year-old father of two and seven-year veteran of the force, was shot in the head Dec. 8 while pursuing armed robbery suspects.

He spent 13 days in the intensive care unit at San Antonio Military Medical Center with a bullet lodged in his brain before he was pronounced dead at 9:53 a.m. Friday.
Reached at her La Vernia home Friday, Deckard's mother declined to comment. Funeral arrangements are pending.
“The most difficult decision that the family had to make was to let him go,” said Mike Helle, president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association. “But his family is strong, considering, and they've been handling this as well as could be expected.”
The suspects accused of shooting Deckard — Shawn Ruiz Puente, 32, and Jenevieve Ramos, 28 — were charged Friday with capital murder, punishable only by life in prison without parole or execution. Their bail was set at $1 million each.
Last week, Puente and Ramos were charged in Wilson County with aggravated assault of a public servant. Puente also was charged with aggravated robbery in Bexar County and unlawful carrying of a weapon and drug possession in Atascosa County.
District Attorney Rene Pena, whose district includes Atascosa and Wilson counties, said he has been working closely with Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed, as the crime spree Puente and Ramos are linked to began in Bexar County but then spread across two of his counties. The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident.
“I'm anticipating that we will get a grand jury sometime in January,” Pena said. “It's a tragedy, obviously, and my condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of officer Deckard.”
Deckard was filling in for another officer on the South Side when he spotted a car about 2 a.m. that matched the description of one involved in several armed robberies, authorities have said.
Deckard pursued the vehicle into Atascosa County, and shots were fired from it near mile marker 109 on Interstate 37, police said.
A bullet pierced the windshield of Deckard's patrol car and struck him in the forehead as he was driving, causing the officer to crash.
The suspect vehicle then was driven to Wilson County, where it was abandoned, authorities said. Later in the morning, Puente and Ramos were captured in a ravine, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward said.
Deckard grew up in San Antonio, attending Highlands High School. Then-head football coach Ken Gray said he wasn't surprised that the former defensive back was filling in for someone else when injured.
“That would be Bobby, always there to do what needed to be done for the team,” he said. “He wasn't the most talented (football player) by any means, but kids respected him, and you knew he would end up in some kind of authoritative role.”
Teammate Nic Williams graduated alongside Deckard in 2000 after a 10-0 senior season. After graduation, they went separate ways but reconnected about a year ago at an alumni flag football game.
In high school, Williams said Deckard always talked about becoming a police officer, so hearing the news that he followed through with the goal was no surprise.
“To me, he's kind of like the poster child for civil service. It takes a lot of hard work and he's one of those guys willing to sacrifice himself for others,” he said. “When you think about the force, you always thought about Bobby Deckard.”
Mayor Julián Castro said he visited with Deckard's family in the hospital shortly after the shooting and offered his condolences Friday.
“This reminds us of why we're so thankful for the men and women in our Police Department who protect us,” he said. “Everyone is so proud of the work that Officer Deckard did and we wish his family godspeed.”
Castro has asked the San Antonio business community to lower flags through Dec. 30 in Deckard's honor.
Since 2000, 11 San Antonio police officers have died in the line of duty, though Deckard is the first to have been fatally shot since 2007.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, he's the 99th law enforcement officer in the U.S. to die while on duty this year.
The law enforcement community has rallied around Deckard's family over the past two weeks. Thousands have responded to the Police Department's Facebook updates on Deckard expressing sympathy, and a fund was set up to help his family at Generations Federal Credit Union.
By midday Friday, hundreds of people had left messages for the family on the Officer Down Memorial Page's online tribute.
Relatives had released a statement Wednesday suggesting the end was near.
“Although it pains us to let him go, we must begin to and are thankful for the fact that we have had these few precious days with him since he was injured,” the statement said. “We do take pride in knowing that Bobby was doing what he loved doing; protecting the citizens of San Antonio.”
His organs will be donated, the statement said.
Before joining the police force in October 2006, Deckard worked as a jailer for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office from December 2004 to September 2006, state records show.
Joel Janssen, president of the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Bexar County, recalled working with the then-rookie deputy.
“He was a hard worker,” Janssen said. “And he actually cared for his fellow workers. He never forgot about the guys at the jail even though he went on to SAPD.”
Shortly after Deckard changed departments, Janssen said he was surprised to see him at a fundraiser at the jail to benefit an officer in need.
“That's what I remember about him — he was a real caring guy,” he said.
Staff Writers Drew Joseph and Mark D. Wilson and News Researcher Mike Knoop contributed to this report.
mcasady@express-news.net