Hero Down: Las Vegas Metro PD Officer Charleston Hartfield Murdered During Mass-Shooting
Las Vegas Metro PD Officer Charleston Hartfield EOW 10/01/2017.
Officer Charleston Hartfield Murdered
Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Charleston Hartfield, age 34, was shot and killed on Sunday night during the Las Vegas mass-shooting. He was off-duty at the time.
Officer Hartfield was also a military veteran who coached youth football, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
His friend of eight years, Troy Rhett, said that Officer Hartfield had posted a picture of the Route 91 Harvest Festival on his Facebook page on Sunday evening before the concert.
Rhett said that he sent his friend a text after Sunday night’s shooting, “hoping he would text him back” but never received a response.
“There’s really no solace to this other than we know Charles, and he was probably doing his best to make sure others were safe and being helped. He was just so special. He’s going to definitely be missed by many,” Rhett said.
He said that he didn’t worry at first, then said, “I figured he was probably busy helping others. I don’t know a better man than Charles. They say it’s always the good ones we lose early. There’s no truer statement than that with Charles. … Our hearts have just been very heavy since hearing the news.”
Another friend, Stan King, posted, “RIP Brother” on Officer Hartfield’s Facebook page. He told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Officer Hartfield was “seriously one of the nicest guys ever.”
He said that Officer Hartfield had coached his son on the Henderson Cowboys, a boys’ team with the Nevada Youth Sports Program.
Officer Hartfield had a book published in July, ‘Memoirs of a Public Servant‘, which has received positive reviews. On his Amazon profile page, Officer Hartfield described himself as a military veteran with 16 years of active military experience, and a law enforcement veteran with 11 years experience.
A review of the book states, “What you THINK you might know having watched the TV show, “COPS,” and what you THINK you know listening to the vocal minority that is amplified, warped and distorted by the sensationalist, ratings seeking media, social media trolls and just plain liars….you don’t know. Unless you live a life a service…a service putting your life, mental and emotional health on the line for your fellow human beings, you just don’t know. That is until…you read this book.”
In a statement, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said:
“The incident on the Las Vegas Strip has devastated families and friends of victims in this terrible attack. The LVMPD is no different, and our Metro family mourns the loss of an officer and we have employees whose family members have suffered significant injury.
Those families are asking for privacy during this tough time as they process and move forward through this event. They are respectfully asking for the media to let them grieve in privacy and not to contact them.”
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Hartfield is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Charleston Hartfield, both blood and blue. Godspeed, sir, we will take the watch from here. Thank you for your service.
Officer Hartfield, your life mattered.
