Community gathers to remember slain Ariz. police officer

[Omaha Steve]

Source: USA Today

Yihyun Jeong and Jim Walsh,

PHOENIX — Family, friends and community members in Flagstaff and Anthem gathered for vigils to remember slain Flagstaff Officer Tyler Stewart Sunday night.

Tyler, 24, who had less than one year on the job, was shot several times by rapid gunfire and killed Saturday afternoon by a 28-year-old man who then turned the gun on himself, police said. Tyler is the son of Arizona Department of Public Safety Sgt. Frank Stewart.

According to police, Stewart was killed during an interview with a domestic violence suspect.

Robert William Smith, 28, of Prescott, had been involved in an earlier domestic-violence call in Flagstaff with his girlfriend, spokeswoman Sgt. Margaret Bentzen said. Stewart met with Smith and had a conversation regarding earlier events.

FULL story at link.



Flagstaff Officer Tyler Stewart
(Photo: Courtesy of Flagstaff Police Department)


Robert William Smith.(Photo: Flagstaff Police Department)


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/28/community-gathers-to-remember-slain-police-officer/20983133/

[ChazII]

1. Rest in peace

Officer Stewart.

[840high]

2. So young. Rest in Peace.

[JonLP24]

3. Wow

Murder is actually very rare in Flagstaff, maybe not much more rarer for a city its size-- around 75,000 I believe.

I remember years that registered 0 for murder. Also didn't remember too many rapes or other violent crimes but for 75,000 I'm not sure what high is.

The drug and theft rate is very high, Flagstaff is a major drug trafficking intersection. Police blotter typically featured "teens arrested for marijuana at Flagstaff mall" or "windows broken, computers stolen at Sinagua High School" Also Flagstaff High was broken into for computers.

One odd crime, in 2001, the Bank at the driveway into Flagstaff Mall which is on the Eastern end of I-40(city ends after the mall) was robbed 3 times or more than 1 which made sense because the wide open interstate is right there. I also remember either more than 1 or just 1 story of a someone falling asleep on railroad tracks near the bar.

You usually don't hear of this type of thing from Flagstaff.

[rewinn]

4. Very Tragic. He was helping in a DV situation....

...makes him a hero.