Today's Most Popular Video
Jun 1, 2009 5:46 pm US/Central
Officer Who Lost Leg In 1997 Crash Dies At 36
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
-
-
David Loeffler was just 24 years old and a week past probation when he was pinned between two cars on the city's north side. At the time, he and his partner had stopped to help a drunken pedestrian who was in the street.
CBS
Twelve years ago, Minneapolis Police Officer David Loeffler lost his right leg when he was struck in the line of duty by a drunk driver. On Friday, the 36-year-old former officer, who became a prosecutor, was found dead in his Aitkin, Minn. home. An autopsy has not yet determined the cause of Loeffler's death.
Loeffler was just 24 years old and a week past probation when he was pinned between two cars on the city's north side. At the time, he and his partner had stopped to help a drunken pedestrian who was in the street.
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of support from other officers and the community. Strangers and friends dropped off flowers and letters at the Fourth Precinct where Loeffler was assigned. Two months after he lost his leg, Loeffler showed up on crutches to thank a crowd that showed up at a rally to support him.
Loeffler told the group, "To be here and have the sun out and have all my friends and coworkers here, it means everything to my recovery. It's what I need and Minneapolis Police have been behind me 100 percent."
The young officer would struggle with pain for the rest of his life.
"It not only hurt his back and his neck and his leg, but it broke his heart and it broke a lot of his spirit," said his friend and colleague Peter Orput.
Loeffler eventually left the MPD and earned his law degree. He worked for several years in the Minnesota Attorney General's office and last year became a felony prosecutor in Aitkin.
"He wanted to be a cop, that's all he ever wanted to be. When he realized he couldn't, his second most favorite thing would be to prosecute. That way he got to work with cops and he really enjoyed it and I thought he was a heck of a prosecutor," said Orput, who is a Hennepin County prosecutor.
Orput said he had planned to meet with Loeffler on Saturday to help him prepare for an upcoming trial involving a shaken baby death case.
"He was a tough guy. He really was and he took the hardest cases there are to prosecute and he wanted to do them," said Orput.
Loeffler's boss, Aitkin County Attorney Jim Ratz, called police when Loeffler didn't show up for work Friday morning. That's when he was found dead in his home. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's office says it could take weeks for tests to be done that could help determine the cause of Loeffler's death.
Meanwhile, Ratz said Loeffler was "Passionate about his cases and cared deeply about his victims. We are going to miss his presence. He was always a nice guy."
A full police honor guard will be part of Loeffler's funeral service that is set for Thursday in Richfield.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Swimsuit Cover Model Forgot To Wear Top
Click to enlarge
Twin Cities Has $41M To Help 1st-Time Home Buyers 56 mins ago
Stumble It!
Reporting
