Officer Erik Hite succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day by a suspect who had wounded a Pima County Sheriff's Department deputy.
The suspect had fired a rifle into the homes of two neighbors and then fled as the first responding deputy arrived at the location. As the deputy pursued him, the suspect opened fire and wounded him.
Members of the Tucson Police Department spotted the vehicle a short time later and continued pursuing it even as the suspect continued to fire at them. The suspect then turned off the main road onto a residential street where he stopped his vehicle and setup an ambush.
As Officer Hite turned the corner onto the street, the suspect opened fire from a distance of approximately 80 yards, striking Officer Hite in the head.
The suspect continued to flee and wounded another deputy before finally surrendering.
Officer Hite was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Tucson Police Department for 4 years. He is survived by his wife, adult son, 1-year-old daughter, and parents
Just a Cop"
The funeral line was long,
There's an awful lot of cars,
Folks came out of the restaurants,
They came out of the bars.
The workers at the construction sites
All let their hammers drop.
Someone asked."What is this all for?"
And they said,"Aw, just a cop."
Some chuckled at the passing cars.
Some shed a silent tear
Some people said,"It's stupid.
all these dumb policemen here."
"How come they're not out fightn' crime?
Or in a doughnut shop?
Sure is a lot of trouble,
For someone who's just a cop."
They blocked the intersections,
They blocked the interstate.
People yelled and cursed,
"Damn, it's gonna make me late!"
"This is really ridiculous!"
"They're makin' us all stop!"
"It seems they're sure wastin' time,
On someone who's just a cop."
Into the cemetery now,
The slow procession comes,
The woeful Taps are slowly played.
There's loud salutes from guns.
The graveyard workers shake their heads
"This service is a flop."
"There's lots of good words wasted,
On someone who's just a cop."
Yeah, just a cop to most folks.
Did his duty every day.
Tryin' to protect us,
Till they took his life away.
And when he got to heaven,
St. Peter put him at the top.
An angel asked him, "Who was that?"
And he said, "Aw, just a cop."
