Roll of Honor

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Officer

Patrick Kent Hardesty

Tucson Police Department — Tucson, AZ

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch May 26, 2003

Age 40

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

Badge 31432

The Vigil Panel 151 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 10

Incident

Officer Patrick Hardesty was shot and killed while investigating a hit-and-run traffic accident at the intersection of Fort Lowell Road and Park Avenue.

Shortly after arriving at the scene, Officer Hardesty located a suspect, and a struggle ensued in which Officer Hardesty was shot five times and fatally wounded. Officer Hardesty was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Responding officers apprehended the suspect after a short foot pursuit. The suspect, who had a criminal record, was found guilty of first-degree murder on February 25th, 2005, and was sentenced to death on March 10th, 2005. In December 2023, he was taken off death row and will have a new resentencing hearing.

Officer Hardesty was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and served with the Tucson Police Department as a reserve officer for 11 years and as a full-time officer for 19 months. He is survived by his wife, three children, parents, two sisters, and a brother. His grandfather and brother had also served as law enforcement officers.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, three children, parents, two sisters, and a brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AZ-0D5DB393
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Patrick. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Patrick is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Hardesty gave the Tucson Police Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Tucson community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Tucson Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Tucson, Pima County, AZ

Platform Identity tpd.pima.az.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 26, 2003

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

Age 40

Badge Number 31432

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Military Service

Patrick Kent Hardesty served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1981â1984) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Patrick Kent Hardesty is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In AZ, 204 of 330 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 61.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Tucson Police Department, 6 of 11 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 54.5% of this agency's fallen.

Tucson Police Department

of 11 officers

54.5% Felonious

AZ — Statewide

204

of 330 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious