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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-03-22 Euless ArticlesBedford Municipal Police Association Holding Charitable Event at the new Texas Harley-Davidson Texas Harley-Davidson Logo BEDFORD, Texas, March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bedford Municipal Police Association (BMPA) will be holding their 3rd Annual Police Motorcycle Skills Rodeo on Saturday, April 2, 2016. The competition begins at9:00 am at the new Texas Harley-Davidson located at 1921 Shoalmont Rd. Bedford, TX 76021. Come watch some of the finest motor officers around North Texas compete in 5 different course challenges and see which one will take home the prestigious "Mr. Rodeo" award! We will also have vendors, food, raffle, silent auction, and a Kid's Zone! Proceeds from this event will go to help the family of Fallen Euless Police Officer David Hofer. Officer Hofer was 29 years old and joined the Euless Police Department in January, 2014 after serving five years with the NYPD. He is survived by his fiancée, parents, sister, brother and his Euless Police family. Contact: Zach Hicks - President Email: zach.hicks@bedfordtx.gov Email: bmpa.staff@yahoo.com Phone: 817-952-2419 BMPA Charities is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160307/341189LOGO SOURCE Texas Harley-Davidson H-E-B Happenings The Fort Worth Zoo is always popular during spring break, which is next week for the H-E-B school district. Rodger Mallison Star-Telegram archives BELK OPENING TODAY AT GLADE PARKS The much-anticipated opening of the Belk department store in Glade Parks is here. The store opens at 9 a.m. today with a ribbon-cutting and remarks from Euless Mayor Linda Martin and H-E-B chamber and Belk executives. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the Trinity High School drumline will provide entertainment. The first 600 people to go through the doors will receive gift cards, with values ranging from $5 to $600. From 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday there’s a Girl’s Night Out at which gift bags will be given to the first 50 attendees. Events are also scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Located next to Dick’s Sporting Goods in the fast-growing development, Belk offers a wide range of clothing brands, from Ralph Lauren to Lucky to Calvin Klein, as well as cosmetics, shoes and home goods. The store in Glade Parks, which is at Texas 121 between Cheek-Sparger and Glade roads in Euless, will be the 16th in Texas and ninth in Dallas-Fort Worth. TAX RETURN HELP OFFERED IN EULESS, HURST AARP volunteers continue to offer help to individuals and couples in preparing their income tax returns. Volunteers will be at the Mary Lib Saleh Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector Drive, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and from noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays through April 15. Information: Library reference desk: 817-685-1489. For members of the Euless Family Life Senior Center, an AARP tax aide will be on site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 15. Appointments: 817-685-1671. In Hurst, AARP volunteers will be at the Hurst Public Library from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through April 12. The library is at 901 Precinct Line Road. Registration is required. Information: 817-788-7300. SPRING BREAK IS NEXT WEEK IN H-E-B DISTRICT Keep a watchful eye out for students as spring break begins Monday and continues all week in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district. While there are plenty of things to do in and around DFW, the Fort Worth Zoo is always popular during spring break and even offers a special camp for students in the first through sixth grades. Information/registration at fortworthzoo.org or 817-759- 7201. Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/hurst-euless- bedford_news/article64543097.html#storylink=cpy Euless Chick-fil-A honors slain officer David Hofer with Missing Man Tabled Hofer with Missing Man Table By: FOX4News.com Staff POSTED:MAR 09 2016 02:00PM CST UPDATED:MAR 09 2016 06:05PM CST A Euless Chick-fil-A is honoring murdered officer David Hofer with its version of a Missing Man Table. The table features a photo, flowers, a folded American flag and a place setting for the fallen officer. It’s a take on the table which is set up to honor and remember dead, missing or imprisoned U.S. service members. Some Chick-fil-A locations across the United States put up Missing Man Tables in November for Veterans Day. The Euless location decided it wanted to remember the slain officer with a Missing Man Table of its own. Hofer, 29, was killed last week in a shootout with a suspect who was high on meth in a public park. Brian Gonzalez, 22, stole weapons from a nearby house he used in the gun fight. Police killed Gonzalez in the shootout. Thousands of people attended a Saturday memorial service honoring Hofer in Bedford at Pennington Field. The memorial service had a 21-gun-salute, bagpipes and speeches from Euless PD Chief Michael Brown, Hofer’s fiancé and Hofer’s father. A memorial service was also held on Monday in New York City. Hofer spent five years with the NYPD before moving to Texas, where he worked for two years with the Euless police department. Clock is ticking on locks left on Euless bridge over Airport Freeway Bridge will be demolished in June Students annually place locks on bridge’s fence Developer may give locks to Euless Junior High The pedestrian bridge over the Airport Freeway near Main Street in Euless will be torn down. Paul Moseley pmoseley@star-telegram.com BY GORDON DICKSON gdickson@star-telegram.com EULESS Who were Ruben and Teri, and what became of them? At some point, at least one of them must have had a crush on the other because there is a small padlock with the message “Ruben + Teri” dangling on a pedestrian bridge over Airport Freeway — just a few steps from Euless Junior High School. A tiny turquoise heart is also painted on the weather-worn padlock, which looks as if it has hung on the bridge’s chain-link fencing for years. The “Ruben + Teri” lock is one of at least 50 that have been randomly placed on the bridge over the years. The locks serve as a reminder that for many students the bridge was a major part of their everyday existence — a landmark along the monotonous walk to and from school. It’s a landmark that won’t be there much longer, because the bridge is scheduled to be torn down as part of the Midtown Express construction project. For those no longer involved in the daily grind of school, the discarded locks may perhaps serve as a reminder of what it feels like to be young and rebellious. One can almost imagine a young teen-ager fastening his or her lock to the fencing, as an act of celebration on the last day of school before summer break. “The principal said they make the 13-year-olds take them home” at the end of the spring semester, Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district spokeswoman Deanne Hullender said. “And they don’t want to take them home.” In its own way, the Euless bridge is a smaller version of the famous Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, where for years visiting couples placed “locks of love” with sentimental messages. However, French officials last year began removing what became a collection of about 700,000 locks, saying the weight of the devices was damaging the structure. THE EULESS BRIDGE IS SCHEDULED TO BE DEMOLISHED IN JUNE TO MAKE WAY FOR A MASSIVE HIGHWAY EXPANSION. The Euless bridge, which connects neighborhoods south of Airport Freeway (also known as Texas 183) to Euless Junior High, is scheduled to be demolished in June to make way for a massive highway expansion. The bridge will not be replaced, and once the structure is gone anyone wishing to safely cross the freeway will have to walk to one of the nearby underpasses, including Ector Drive or Main Street. When asked about the locks by the Star-Telegram, an official from the main contractor of the highway project, Southgate Constructors, said the company is interested in possibly preserving the locks as a testament to the bridge’s important role in the school’s history. “Our removal team has agreed to salvage that porton of the bridge, if that’s what the school wants,” said Southgate Constructors spokeswoman Selma Stockstill. The pedestrian bridge was built in 1969, Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Peters said. Its primary purpose was to safely get students from one side of the freeway to the other. The bridge walkway is covered by chain-link fencing, to prevent anyone from climbing onto the freeway — which is one of the busiest in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, with about 200,000 vehicles using it each day — or throwing any large objects onto the cars below. Gordon Dickson: 817-390-7796, @Gordon Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/traffic/your-commute/article65251452.html#storylink=cpy Filings depict chaotic gun battle that led to Euless officer's death Setup Timeout Error: Setup took longer than 30 seconds to complete. Euless police officers have filed their first written accounts of the gun battle that left Officer Dave Hofer mortally wounded and the shooter dead. The writings reveal frustration and anguish. News 8's Jim Douglas has more. Jim Douglas, WFAA 12:27 AM. CDT March 17, 2016 (Photo: WFAA) CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST News 8 Exclusive EULESS -- Euless police officers have filed their first written accounts of the gun battle that left officer Dave Hofer mortally wounded, and the shooter dead. The writings reveal frustration and anguish. They also depict an apparent effort by the gunman to trick officers into holding their fire. News 8 was allowed to review the draft documents by the officers’ attorney. Officers had little reason to suspect trouble when they entered Carr Park on March 1 to investigate a report of shots fired. People in the park were acting normally. Officers heard on their radios that a possible suspect had already been stopped nearby. Carr Park in Euless (Photo: WFAA) Officer Dave Hofer had volunteered to help on the call, and took lead position crossing the park. He spotted a man in a creek. As Hofer told him to show his hands, the man rose up and shot Hofer in mid-sentence, according to a written statement by an officer who was standing behind Hofer. “Suspect comes up from behind the ledge and fires a round point blank into Dave’s face,” said attorney Randy Moore. A rifle round. Moore says the gunman had a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun in a gun fight against the officers’ pistols. Dave Hofer tumbled into the creek next to the shooter. His friends, fellow veterans of NYPD, watched in horror. The wooded area where Jorge Gonzalez was firing at officers. (Photo: WFAA) “They could see Dave in the creek, not responding and bleeding,” Moore said Wednesday. “They could see the suspect near Dave, trying to conceal himself. And, being right next to Dave, creating another threat of officers hitting another officer who was down.” Written statements reveal frustration and desperation as officers tried to get a shot at 22-year-old Jorge Gonzalez without hitting Officer Hofer. Jorge Gonzalez (Photo: WFAA) “You can hear that on the radio more than one time. People saying, 'We got to get to him.' 'We got to get to Dave.' 'We got to help Dave,'" Moore said. "And they couldn’t get to him." According to statements, at one point, the gunman put up his hands to surrender, then pulled up a long gun and continued firing. Moore says officers showed professionalism, and even restraint. “They don’t fire rounds when they can’t account for bullets,” Moore said. “When the suspect tries to give up, they give him the chance to give up. They did everything they were supposed to do, even while they can see their best friend laying in a ditch, bleeding. That’s true professionalism.” Randy Moore (Photo: WFAA) Randy Moore is with the Texas Municipal Police Association, which represents officers. He says statements from four of those involved were turned over to investigators with the Euless Police Department on Wednesday. He praises the department for its handling of the internal investigation, without putting pressure on traumatized officers. Officers rushed to the scene after Dave Hofer was shot. (Photo: Courtesy - Viewer video) Moore says he’s told no police bullets hit Dave Hofer, and that the shooter was hit at least five times. “They want people to know they did their job, and did it as well as they could,” he said. “And they’re still committed to doing their job today, even after suffering this horrendous loss.” But Moore says recent attacks on police are taking a mental toll, especially on the Euless officers involved. Early Sunday morning a DWI suspect intentionally rammed an Arlington police cruiser. The attack on Fort Worth officers followed two days later. “It’s surreal,” Moore said. Copyright 2016 WFAA Free Shoes For Elementary Students At Oakwood Terrace March 11, 2016 2:12 PM pop-up shoe shop (HEB ISD) Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter EULESS (CBSDFW.COM) – After enduring the trauma of a school lockdown when a police officer in the area was shot and killed on March 1, there was some good news today for some students in the Hurst-Euless- Bedford Independent School District. Skechers and Belk teamed up to convert Oakwood Terrace Elementary in Euless into a “pop-up shoe shop.” The businesses joined together and donated more than 800 pairs of shoes to students. Youngsters anxiously stood in line and waited to have their feet measured. The next step was to not only pick out their new shoes, but also personalize them at a one-of-a-kind decorating station. Euless ISD administrators were on hand to witness the happy event and help students get the perfect fit. The Bobs from Skechers program launched in 2011, and since then has donated more than 13 million pairs of new shoes to children in need. (©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) HURST-EULESS-BEDFORD NEWS MARCH 21, 2016 10:16 AM H-E-B happenings The bridge at the 18th hole at Texas Star will be named for longtime Euless Councilman Glenn Walker. Stewart F. House Star-Telegram archives TEXAS STAR BRIDGE RENAMED AFTER FORMER COUNCILMAN Former longtime Euless councilman Glenn Walker loves golf, and on Thursday the bridge on the 18th hole at Texas Star Golf Course will be dedicated in his name. Walker served on the council for 21 years and has given countless hours in service. The Glenn Walker Bridge dedication is at 6 p.m. at Texas Star, 1400 Texas Star Parkway, Euless. “I'm thrilled to death to be recognized by the city in any shape, form or fashion,” Walker told the Star-Telegram in October. "I love Euless, and it will be my home as long as I'm alive. Anything they do for me is a gift from God, and I'm grateful.” While serving as a member of the council from 1975 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1999, he was on the Euless Non-Profit Industrial Development Authority, charter review committee, the economic development advisory board, Trinity River Authority and the half-cent sales tax education committee. Since leaving office he has served on the historical preservation committee. H-E-B STUDENTS SERVE UP BRUNCH FOR FUNDRAISER The cuisine made by culinary students at the H-E-B school district’s Buinger Career and Technical Education Academy will be served at a special brunch to raise money for scholarships. The event, called Bon Appetit Brunch at Buinger, will include three courses. DRG Concepts’ culinary team featuring chefs Richard Triptow, Austin Carlson and AJ Joglekar, and chef Teresa Booth, instructor director of H-E-B’s culinary program, will guide the students as they prepare and serve the meal. Tickets are $50. The brunch will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 2 at the academy, 1849 Central Drive, Bedford. All proceeds will go toward two scholarships for the district’s culinary students. Information, tickets at www.drgconcepts.eventbrite.com. CITIES CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF GOOD FRIDAY All nonessential municipal offices in Bedford, Euless and Hurst will be closed Friday in observance of Good Friday. Trash service is not affected. City-specific closings include: Euless: The Mary Lib Saleh Euless Public Library and family life center/senior center will be closed Friday and Sunday and open Saturday. The family life center rec/fitness center/natatorium will be open Friday and Saturday and closed Sunday. Hurst: City recreation and tennis centers will be open Friday but closed Sunday. Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/hurst-euless- bedford_news/article67308987.html#storylink=cpy .. ._. .... ~uu ....... , U .. ,,._. .. u .. u.a'°'IHUAU""& '-VlllC: UC:l.C: G.UU UIC:f Cil.11 -~~-•• ,,..,._.,. ... -..... a ... .._., .... l\ene commission's vote In a historic district, boundary. Both said they spend a day there and ramirtz.@star·tt/tgram.com ························ developers and property thought the larger bound-then tomorrow they go to owners must submit plans ary was too big. No resi-the museum district and FORT WORTH She is accused of swin· for new buildings or ex· dents spoke against the the next day they can go A Southlake title compa· dling millions from cus- pansions and changes to larger footprint. to Fort Worth South or ny owner arrested this tamers of her company, BY BILL HANNA existing structures for In voting for the larger downtown or wherever month in Illinois on a Millennium Title, 771 E. bil/hanna@star-ttltgram.com review to a city board to historic overlay, Zoning else." Tarrant County theft Southiake Blvd. The of- ensure that what is built is Commission Chairman Apartments are planned charge was returned to fense date is listed as Oct. FORT WORTH compatible with the area Nick Genua said he want-for both the former Swift Fort Worth late Tuesday. 29, but an exact amount is The city's Zoning Com· and meets certain guide· ed to save as much of the and Armour sites. The Nancy J. Carroll, 45, of not listed, according to mission wants to see more lines and standards. Stockyards as possible. owner of the Swift site has Keller was booked into the Tarrant County court of the old Stockyards area The City Council is Other cities including already received demoli· Tarrant County Jail at records. protected as a historic scheduled to vote on the Charleston, S.C., and the lion permits to raze the 11:07 p.m. Tuesday with As of Jan. 25, the com· district. boundaries of a proposed Georgetown district in few remaining structures bail set at $1 million. pany has been under con· Commissioners voted Stockyards historic district Washington, D.C., have on the site, and a historic Carroll is accused of trol of a court-appointed 7-2 Wednesday in favor of on April 9. The council preserved enough for district overlay will not bilking her customers at receiver tasked with liqui· the larger of two proposed may follow the Zoning people to spend the day stop the demolition. The Millennium Title in South-dating the company, ac· boundaries for a historic Commission recommen· exploring, he said. Armour site has been lake out of millions of cording to court docu- district. dation or may ignore it "What's most important cleared of structures. dollars. ments filed Feb. 5. First, they voted 7·2 completely. to me is I'm just greedy," An initial hearing in In a separate lawsuit against a smaller proposal Commissioners Wanda Genua said. "When I say BiU Hanna: 817-390-7698, Fort Worth for Carroll is filed against Carroll on for about 60 acres. Conlin and Charles Ed· I'm greedy, I'd like to see @fwhanna pending. Jan. 29, a plaintiff is seek- The Keller lawyer and ing almost $797,000 in title company owner is damages. The lawsuit charged with theft over alleges that Carroll main- Ex-priest returned to Ricardo Rodriguez said. Hidalgo County district $300,000. tained an escrow account The suspect, John Feit, attorney who investigated Carroll was arrested for real estate closing Texas in 1960 slaying was expected to be booked the slaying but never March 3 in Lake Forest, purposes but took pro- into the Hidalgo County brought charges, said there Ill., a Chicago suburb, ceeds for her personal use. Jail on Wednesday nighL was no DNA evidence. after leaving her Keller Rodriguez and other Authorities say Felt, then home when a Texas court This r<port includes been jailed since his arrest officials at an afternoon 27, killed Irene Garza, 25, ordered her company into material from the Tht Associattd Prtss last month. news conference declined on APril 16, 1960, after receivership, according to Star· Telegr•m archi~s. "Today we can say that to comment on what evi-hearing her confession at officials with the Tarrant An 83-year·old former today, after nearly 56 dence was presented to Sacred Heart Catholic County district attorney's Domingo Ramirez fr.: priest accused of killing a years, is the beginning of grand jurors who indicted Churcll in McAllen where office. 817-390-7763, McAllen teacher in 1960 bringing justice to the Feit last month, saying he was a visiting priest. Lake Forest jail records @mlngoramirezjr was turned over to Texas accused, the victim and only, "We do have new An autopsy showed that identified her as Nancy authorities on Wednesday the community," Hidalgo facts and evidence." she was raped, beaten and Jackson Spinks of Lake in Phoenix, where he has County District Attorney Rene Guerra, the former suffocated. Forest, lll. WEDNESDAY MARCH 9 2016 I STAY CONNECTED HHNEWS.COM I FACEBOOK.COM/STARTELEGRAM TWITTER.COM/STARTELEGRAM AN EDITION Of THE STAR·TELEGRAM VOLUME l, NUMBER 10 TO SUSPEND OR CANCEL DELIVERY, PLEASE CALL 80().776·1817. PAUL MOSELEY pmoseley(!Jlst.t-leleo~.com Euless Police Chief Michael Brown eulogizes officer David Hofer on Saturday. "What I remember about David is his humor and his smile and his enormous heart." EULESS OFFICER'S DEATH 'We can honor him by appreciating what these men and women do' Officer David Hofer was killed March 1 His memorial service was at Pennington Field In Bedford Another service was held Monday in New York BY ROBERT CADWALLADER, MARK DAVID SMITH AND AZIA BRANSON n:adwalladtr@star-ttltgram..com, msmith@Jfar·tt~gTam.com, aziabranson@star·ttltgram..com BEDFORD Euless police officer David Hofer "led with his heart," wrote poetry and was known to withdraw $100 from his bank account to help a homeless family he encountered on the job. Although the 29-year-old bad a softer, gentler side, his final act on earth was one of selfless courage In the face of gunfire io protect the communi- ty he had sworn to serve. Under a pale blue sky and bathed In warm sunlight at Pen- nington Field, thousands of Northeast Tarrant residents and law enforcement personnel from as far away as Colorado and New York said goodbye Saturday to a hero who demon- H-E-8 HAPPENINC.S Belk department store opening today at Glade Parl<s • The first 600 people to go through the doors will receive gift cards, with values ranging from $5 to $600. Fro.m 5 t? ~:3~.!':~· Thur.sday Tax return help offered In Euless, Hurst AARP volunteers continue to strated that compassion has much to do with police work. T)lousands more lined the streets for a funeral procession rarely seen In the North Texas suburbs. Hofer, who moved from the New York Police Department to the nearly 100-member Euless police force in 2014, was slain March 1 by a troubled young man who had been released froni the Euless Jail hours earli- er. He was remembered In a 75-mlnute service as much for good humor and kindness as well as his unwavering dedica- through April 15. Appointments: 817-685-1671. •Hurst Public Library from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays thr_?~!'! Ap!11 E;l~e~1'.1:."'!~: Eu.Im Police Depirtmenl Police fatally shot the man who killed officer David Hofer, 29. lion to law enforcement. "What 1 remember about David is his humor and his smile and his enormous heart," Euless Police Chief Michael Brown said in his eulogy. "You could say that David Hofer is one of those rare people you meet In life who led with his heart." Blue uniforms from visiting officers filled about 80 percent of the visitors' section of the 12,500-seat stadium, while Eu- less officers sat front and center in the main seating section. Grand Prairie officers took shifts at the Euless Police Department so those officers could attend. SEE OFFICER'S FUNERAL, 2A CORRE CflON The Rev. Clint Jones, mis- sions and invitation minister at First United Methodist Church of Hurst, was mis- quoted in a March 2 story ... ___ ....__ --1..a~ ~--.1 _ ... _.._~ 2A I News I H-E-B NEWS FROM PAGE1A OFFICER'S FUNERAL "Somber," Bedford Black and blue was a police Sgt. Noel Scott said, common theme of color describing the mood of worn by the public. Signs the day as his contingent noted that "Blue Lives of officers loaded up for Matter." the short trip home. But "These men and women seeing so many law en· are out here every day to forcement agenclel repre-take care of ua, and the sented there was moving, least we can do is show up he said. "It shows that all and honor them,• said the officers in thia protea-Connie Scott of Hunt. She sion care about each oth· and her husband, Robert er. It doesn't matter bow Scott, stood next to the far away they work; they'll procession vehicles hold· travel the distance to pay ing U.S. flap. their respects.• "We're here to hold a flag and lhow a lot of FATAL AMBUSH love," Connie Scott said. Hofer was ambulhed "We can't understand the afternoon of March 1 eveJVlblnl they're going by Jorge Brian Gonzalez, throuah. bat we can lhow who police said stole fire.. up and support them and arms from a home, fired let the flag do the talldng. • random lhots and took a The ceremonywu filled "pol!tlon of cover" several · at times with llllllic of a houn after being re1eued 1'qplpt aacl drum fromjllL H c and Gonzalez, biding In a drainqe ditch while wait· lng~ofli­ cen;OJl-'lledllre ~ofer. Anothei' otflcer nturned fire, and~ .-m GOri· za1a were pronounced dead at hoapltala IOon after. The procession to trans- port Hofer's body from Lucas Funeral Home in Hurst to Pennington Field began about 11:15 a.m. Law enforcement vehicle1 lined up for the procession on Precinct Line Road. At Pennlllgton Field, bicycles, motorcycles, horses, firetrucks and police vehicles lined up with their lighta, waiting for Hofer's casket. The firetrucks' ladders were raised to hold a aiant American flag. Anotherflag flew from the Hurstvlew Bridp over Allport F?eeway as the proc:eNlon traveled under- neath. ce,u ence WltChed the flag· draped cuket being car- ded In the ~ .. "It for the dty of Euleu and lta dli· Diii,. said Jim Pack, chaplain of the Euleu Police Deparunent, as he opened the ceiemony. "It ls • reminder that aafety in a free aodety Clllllel with a high price.• MAKING PLANS Hofer'•~. Helmut Hofer, a~mathe­ matldan and• profeuor at Princeton Unlvenlty, recalled a softer side of his youngest aon. "He liked to write poet· ry -but he always con· cealed this from his fellow officers,• Helmut Hofer llld to a round oflaugh· ter1 one of several light· hearted moments at the aervice. He said hla son had modest plana when he took the Euless job, and the father urged those in attendance to do what they can to make the world a better, safer place. "Let's keep our kids out of trouble,• he said. "Some cases are hopeless, but most are not. David made the ultimate sacri· fice while doing the job for ua. But there are many less dangerous things you can do for our communl· ties to make them better." Brown recalled one of David Hofer'a first late· night traffic stops in Eu· ieu. What Hofer found wu a homeleu faµilly living out of their car, looking for a safe place to park for the night. "HegoestoanATM ~takes out $100 andgl: ,• B GATHERING SUPPORT Lesa Hayen of Fort Worth looked around at the officers honoring one of their own. Her bus· band, James Hayen, has been a police officer for more than 30 years, she said, and thia tragedy hita hard at home. "My heart breaks for his [Hofer's] fiancee and his THE BOAT§ ARE BACll! -------- I WEDNE SDAY MAICH 9 2016 H-E-BN EWS.COM JARED L. CHlltSTOPHER Star·Tel~m Hurst police officers and firefighters stand atop a fire engine on the Hurstview Drive overpass to watch the funeral procession for Euless police officer David Hofer. PAUL MOSELEY ~llMQram.com Hundreds of officers from various agencies salute officer David Hofer at his funeral Saturday at Pennington Field. family but most of all her because they had a future planned and one person decided they shouldn't have that future," Lesa Hayen said. "We can honor him by appreciating what these men and wo· men do, understanding they see things we can't begin to Imagine." Hayen said a small act of going out of your way to thank an officer for his or her service can have a big impact. "It makes a big differ- ence to see the support of everyday people,• Hayen said. "Just by saying thank you and being respectful when you get pulled over, it makes a big difference." William Ryan, a Caddo Mills patrol officer, said the slaying of Hofer has sparked a lot of support from the public, and it's meaningful to officers to know that "a lot of the comnumity has our back." DEADLY WORK The last officer to die in the line of duty in Tarrant County was Arlington officer Jillian Michelle Smith, who wa s shot in the head while responding to a domestic dispute in December 2010. Hofer is among 10 ofli· cers who have died on duty in Tarrant County since 2001. He is the 16th officer in the nation to die in the line of duty this year. Hofer had worked in Euless since 2014, after moving from New York, where he had been an officer with the New York Pollc:e Department for five yean. Fllends and family have said he moved to Euless to be in a safer place. Hofer, the youngest of three children, was born in New Jersey and lived in Germany, Switzerland and New York, as hla father moved to different schools. The family moved to New York when Hofer was in the fifth grade, after his father accepted a position at New York University. Hofer graduated from Saint Ann's High School in 2005 and NYU in 2008. "My heart goes out to Officer Hofer's family during this difficult time," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. "Our police officers put their lives on the line every day to en· sure that our communities Me safe, and we can never say thank you enough. Cecilia and I will keep the officer's family and the entire Euless community in our thoughta and prayers as they heal from this tragedy." Many other police de - partmenta and officers have voiced their sympa· !hies and support for Hof· er's family, friends and colleagues. "It's a sad day for this community, this region, and the state of Texas," Brown said. "We lost a friend . A family lost a son and a brother. A fiancee lost the love of her life." The ceremony ended with the traditional last call of a fallen officer. A Euless police dispatcher, in a recording for the service, called out over the loudspeakers, "Euless to Officer David Hofer, Badge 5·5·4," repeating it twice. There is no re· sponse. "Officer David Hofer, we will miss your smile, your humor, your friendship and your ac· cent. Thank you for your service." Robert Cadwallader: 817-390-7186, @Kaddmann_ST