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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A Colorado Springs Police officer who died in the line of duty is remembered Friday with a special legacy tree planting.

CSPD Officer Matt Tyner died in July in a motorcycle crash near Austin Bluffs Parkway and Silver Drive.

Those closest to Tyner said it's still hard to believe that he is gone.

"I still listen for him on the air and never hear his voice," Officer Mike Singels, a close friend of Tyner, said. "I look for him at all the old spots where he used to run radar and I'd meet up with him, still looking for him, still trying to find him."

Tyner is remembered as a compassionate person with a great sense of humor who was an excellent instructor.

"He had a real good dry sense of humor that made you laugh. It was one of those deals where you walk away and about five minutes later you realize he was kind of making fun of you and walk back and he'd already be gone," CSPD Chief Pete Carey said.

"His ability to teach people, to make them understand was amazing, was incredible," Singels said.

To help keep those memories alive Phelan Gardens donated a legacy tree in Tyner's honor.

"His accident was right at our nursery back in July and it hurt all of us deeply, and so this gesture is just our way of honoring and remembering Officer Tyner," Monica Phelan said.

The tree was planted in front of the Police Operations Center downtown.

"To recognize Matt every day when we come to work it's really really special to me and the rest of the employees here," Carey said.

"When we plant it's a healing process and so to me this helps us bring closure to a difficult situation but it also helps us remember and honor Officer Tyner," Phelan said.

Friends and fellow officers said the tree will help remind them to live life to the fullest, like Tyner did.

"He loved life and he loved people and he always gave 100 percent of himself to his friends," Singels said.

"It brings back a lot of tough memories. This is, although it's cold out, it's a good day. It helps me remember Matt and I don't want to ever forget the sacrifice that he made," Carey said.

Tyner joined CSPD in 1999 after serving three years with the Kansas City Police Department.