Rupert M. Hopkins

Pima County Sheriff's Department — Tucson, AZ

Cardiac

End of Watch December 18, 1950

Age 64

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 87 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 10

Incident

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.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AZ-05DB27A4
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Hopkins gave the Pima County Sheriff's Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Tucson community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Hopkins.

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

Agency

Department Pima County Sheriff's Department

Location Tucson, AZ

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

Service Record

End of Watch December 18, 1950

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 64

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Deputy Sheriff Rupert M. Hopkins is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In AZ, 11 of 330 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.3% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 4%.

At Pima County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 11 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 18.2% of this agency's fallen.

Pima County Sheriff's Department

of 11 officers

18.2% Cardiac

AZ — Statewide

of 330 officers

3.3% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac