Roll of Honor
Incident
Captain Robert Hopton and Inspector James Rodgers were killed when their plane crashed while assisting deputies on the ground search for two suspects. The suspects, who were trespassing on a ranch, matched the description of two men wanted for a home invasion and sexual battery in the same area the previous week. The single-engine Piper L-21-A stalled and crashed into trees just north of Lake Istokpoga. The men they were searching for were charged with trespassing and narcotics violations, but were determined not to be connected to the earlier incident. Captain Hopton had served in law enforcement for 22 years.
Survivors
He is survived by wife, son, and two daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-F82BCCCC- 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
22 years. You could have gone home.
Captain Hopton gave the Highlands County Sheriff's Office 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Sebring community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Hopton.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Captain Robert F. Hopton, Jr. is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In FL, 313 of 1,008 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 0.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Highlands County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert F. Hopton, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Robert F. Hopton, Jr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert F. Hopton, Jr. is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Highlands County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
