Deputy Sheriff Rupert M. Hopkins

Rupert M. Hopkins

Deputy Sheriff Rupert Hopkins suffered a fatal heart attack after conducting a felony traffic stop on a vehicle that matched the description of a car used in a bank robbery.

He located the car on the Nogales Highway, near Sahuarita, at approximately 1:30 pm. After removing the five occupants from the car it was determined they were not involved in the robbery. Deputy Hopkins collapsed while speaking to the occupants. He was transported to a local hospital where he passed away.

Deputy Hopkins had served with the Pima County Sheriff's Office for four years. He was a widower and survived by two adult children. Deputy Hopkins was well known for having only one leg, having one amputated when he was run over by a freight train as a child.