Family, friends and colleagues mourned Greenville police officer Cooper Dawson Tuesday after he was fatally shot last month following a traffic stop turned foot chase — the first line-of-duty death for the Greenville Police Department in more than 100 years.
Dawson, 27, started his career at the Garland Police Department before serving a short time in Greenville, where he was regarded as a "highly respected member" of the department.
During his funeral service, his wife Aubrey said she had a heavy heart filled with grief, but also "an immense sense of pride."
The couple was together for four years, but Aubrey said she wished she had 80 more with him.
"If you know me, you know I have a very strong personality and can be a lot to handle, but Cooper was my perfect balance," she said. "He knew my next step before I even knew my next step."
She said one of her favorite things about her husband was his commitment to fatherhood and how he made a point to meet his family for dinner while he was working.
Dawson had dinner with Aubrey and their three children at Chili's on Nov. 25 before returning to work. Around 7:40 p.m. that night, he initiated a traffic stop that reportedly turned into a foot chase. The Greenville Police Department wrote in a statement that Dawson was ambushed and shot multiple times.
Despite his critical injuries, Dawson returned fire and struck the man, police said. Both he and the suspect, Christian Sparger, were taken to Hunt County Regional Hospital. Dawson was later airlifted to Medical City Plano where he died from his injuries.
Brandon West, Greenville Police Department administrative lieutenant, said in a statement that Sparger had four warrants out of Denton County. On Nov. 27, he was arraigned on four charges including capital murder with a bond set at $5 million.
Dawson's obituary, posted to the Rest Haven Funeral Home in Rockwall, described him as loving, funny, and courageous, and a magnetic person with a zest for life "as boundless as his love for his family."
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