Christians Under Attack

The open-casket service, held at Fuller Funerals on International Boulevard, was about an hour long and had such a large turnout that a number of guests were forced to stand.

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Singers sang. Poets read, and speakers remembered Mixon as an intense and animated storyteller, for his big smile, love of boxing and football and what they called a long and loving relationship with his wife of seven years.

Authorities say Mixon fatally shot four Oakland police officers March 21 before he was killed as he hid in his sister's apartment.

While no one spoke directly of the incident that left him dead, one family member spoke briefly of Mixon's stray from God, and a Nation of Islam minister urged mourners to remember they were there to support Mixon's grieving family.

Keith Muhammad of Oakland Mosque 26B said losing a member of the community is tragic no matter the circumstances.

"We see our young brother first as a brother," he said. "We can't do anything for him. We need to think about what we can do for the living."

E-mail Leslie Fulbright at lfulbright@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle