Family, friends honor fallen NMSP Officer Justin Hare
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Tributes and kind words about fallen New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare are pouring in from agencies and families across the state.
Family and friends say he was a native New Mexican who went above and beyond for his family, community, and fellow officers.
“I spent the day with the family of Officer Justin Hare and his fellow officers. They are grieving, and I know the people of New Mexico are grieving as well,” said NMSP Chief Troy Weisler.
The words and prayers quickly reached Logan, New Mexico where the loss of Hare has started to sink in for his family.
His longtime girlfriend and mother of his soon-to-be three children shared a lengthy post on social media over the weekend, giving the world insight into who Hare was.
She calls him an amazing father, spouse, brother, friend, and police officer.
She finds it hard to put his life in paragraphs because he was “indescribable” and much more than the way he died.
“The last words Officer Hare uttered on this earth was an offer to help the man who was about to kill him. I am disgusted, and I am sickened by the actions of this cold-blooded murderer,” said Weisler.
Hare coached his young daughters, loved to fish and hunt, and gave back to his small community.
His girlfriend wrote he was raised in a very tight-knit family, and his friendliness and kind demeanor will never be forgotten.
“In the coming days, we’ll now be able to spend some time honoring him in the best way we can and grieving his loss,” Weisler said.
Hare’s girlfriend also wrote: “We will try to move forward knowing Justin is with us every step of the way.”
She thanked everyone for sharing memories on social media, and all agencies across the state for their time spent on catching Hare’s suspected killer over the weekend.
The Ten-82 Foundation is also stepping in to help Hare’s family with the next phase of their grief.
The foundation is made up of first responders who help other New Mexico first responders when they need it most. It has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the families of fallen officers.
“What we want to do is provide the family with immediate financial aid so they don’t have to worry about funeral costs, catering costs, any costs that are associated with this event. We want them to worry about grieving and taking care of their family, not about the financial side of things,” said Ryan Tafoya, president & founder of Ten-82 Foundation.
This Wednesday, KOB 4 is teaming up with the Ten-82 organization for a Pay It Forward Hotline.
If you want to donate, all you have to do is tune in to our newscasts from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Representatives from the foundation will be here to take your calls and donations.
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