Glendale officer’s death leaves behind wife, young children

GLENDALE, AZ - The bullets from a young man's gun were something Glendale Officer Brad Jones was not prepared for, just as his family and two little children are not prepared to go on living without him.

"You get that knock on the door or you get that phone call, and you just don't know what to do with yourself, but then you have to sit down with your children and explain to them at a very young age that daddy's not coming home. It is something that no one should ever have to do," said survivor and 100 Club of Arizona representative Angela Harrolle.

Officer Jones was shot to death at an apartment complex by a man police say caught him off guard Friday. He was 26-years-old. Glendale police say his killer is 20-year-old Ryan Heisler.

After a shootout with other Glendale officers, Heisler in hospital is in critical condition.

Harrolle says Officer Jones’ unexpected death has put his family and children in a circumstance most people cannot imagine.

Harrolle has been in Jones’ widow’s position before. Harrolle’s husband, Bruce, was killed in the line of duty as an officer with DPS's air rescue unit. She has two children who were about the about the same ages as Officer Jones’ kids when her husband died.

Harrolle says the traumatic situation would have been much harder if not for the kind people at the 100 Club of Arizona.

"I just remember the relief of having the executive director of the 100 Club show up at my door," she said.

The 100 Club of Arizona just provided Officer Jones' family with $15,000 to help them through this difficult time.

Harrolle said Jones' widowed wife is getting support from police organizations and many others all over her community.

"She's gonna need it, and they will hopefully carry her through the next few days, weeks, months, hopefully even years if that's what it takes," she said.

It has been a very deadly year for Arizona law enforcement. Officer Jones was the ninth killed so far this year. We are on pace to have a record year for deaths in the line of duty.