Officer Jeffrey 

 Kocab 

PRECINCT PIZZA Mourns the loss of Patrol Officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab

31 year old David Curtis had three years and eight 

months of service to the Tampa Police Department. 

He is married with four sons between the ages of 

eight months and nine years. He served with the 

HillsboroughCounty Sheriff’s Office as a jail deputy 

prior to becoming a Tampa Police Officer. Officer 

Curtis is known as a family man, devoted to his 

wife and four sons. His sons are 8-month Hunter, 

5 year old Tyler, 6 year old Sean and 9 year 

old Austin. He was an outstanding Tampa Police 

Officer who served on the plain clothes Rapid 

Offender Control Squad known as ROC prior 

to his current assignment in District Three.    
                                                                                   

31 year old Jeffrey Kocab had nearly 14 months 

as a Tampa Police Officer. He is married and his 

wife is nine months pregnant. He served with 

the Plant City Police Department prior to being 

hired by Tampa Police. Officer Kocab moved 

through TPD’s training program at an accelerated 

pace because of his outstanding police skills. He was 

anticipating the birth of his first child next week. 

June 29, 2010 at 2:15 a.m., Officer David Curtis 

attempted to pull over a vehicle at Martin Luther 

King Jr. Blvd and 50th Street. The car had no 

license plate. The vehicle eventually pulled over 

at 50th Street and 23rd Avenue. Officer Curtis 

determined the passenger was wanted on a 

worthless check warrant out of Jacksonville. 

He called for backup and Officer Jeffrey Kocab 

arrived. Together they approached the suspect’s 

vehicle on the passenger side. 

The next communication came from a citizen calling 

911 to report two officers were shot. The first 

responding officers found Officer Curtis and 

Officer Kocab on the ground and immediately 

began CPR. Paramedics transported both 

officers to Tampa General Hospital. Officer 

Kocab was pronounced dead shortly after 

arrival to the hospital. Doctors put Officer 

Curtis on life support. He was pronounced 

dead later in the morning. 

At the time of the shooting, both officers were 

assigned to uniform patrol squad 306. 

Precinct Pizza will match donations made 

through our store up to a $500.00 per month. 

We have a condolence box at our counter in our 

store, or you can send your gift to : 

Make Checks Payable To:
Curtis/Kocab Memorial Fund  

Fallen Officer - Corporal Michael Roberts Precinct Pizza Mourns the Loss of Corporal Michael Roberts Killed in the Line of Duty Eulogy Delivered by Chief Hogue   A Message of Gratitude from Chief Stephen Hogue and the Men & Women of the Tampa Police Department  On August 19, 2009 at 9:58p.m. Corporal Michael Roberts was patrolling on Nebraska Avenue in a neighborhood that recently experienced several burglaries. He observed a suspicious person pushing a shopping cart full of items and initiated a stop. The suspect began struggling with the Corporal who attempted to use his taser. The suspect ran across Nebraska Avenue at East Arctic Street and the officer chased him on foot. They began fighting again on the west side of  Nebraska Avenue when the suspect pulled out a gun and began pistol whipping the officer. He then fired one shot. The bullet hit Corporal Roberts on the right side of his chest area that was not covered by his bulletproof vest. Witnesses observed the suspect run back to the shopping cart and remove a large canvas bag. At 10:03p.m. Corporal Roberts’ Sergeant pulled up and observed the suspect running from the scene. The suspect then pulled out an AR-15 assault rifle from a canvas bag and pointed it at the Sergeant. The suspect then took off running and the Sergeant ran to help Mike. Corporal Roberts was transported to Tampa General Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:50p.m. A K-9 officer tracked the suspect to 812 Yukon Street where he surrendered to police. Two witnesses saw the suspect pistol whip and shoot Corporal Roberts.  The suspect was charged with 1st Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Aggravated Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer (pointed rifle at Sergeant), Carrying a Concealed Firearm  38-year-old Corporal Michael Roberts will be remembered as an outstanding officer, husband, father and member of the TPD family. He began his career with the Tampa Police Department in 1998. He served in Patrol until 2005 when he became a K-9 Officer. He served one year as a Field Training Officer and was promoted to the rank of Corporal on July 12th, 2009. Roberts was honored with a Life Saving Award in 2005. During his 11-year career, he was awarded dozens of Letters of Appreciation from citizens, supervisors and other law enforcement agencies. He served with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army.  He is survived by his wife and 3-year-old son. He was a dedicated family man. Mike was known for his sense of humor and practical jokes that could make anyone smile. He was an avid sports fan and played goalie on a TPD Hockey Team. Precinct Pizza will match all donations made through our store up to a $500.00 per month. We have a condolence box at our counter in our store, or you can send your gift to: Make Checks Payable To: Corporal Mike Roberts Memorial Fund  The Tampa Police Memorial Committee P.O. Box 172995 Tampa, FL 33672  Our payments to the Fallen Heroes fund will be made monthly. Precinct Pizza feels the pain that many have felt through the Tampa Bay area. This Officer was not just a symbol of Heroism, but he was our customer, & friend as well. Many Police Officers dine at Precinct Pizza, & we have come to know many of them well. Thank You, and thanks to all those who protect and serve us. Always stop and thank Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, & Military personnel for what they do.      Fallen Officer - Deputy Mark Longway   “This uniform is just a different color. I’m still serving. First it was my country, now it is my county.” Deputy Mark Longway, Air Force veteran and recipient of an  Integrity Grant scholarship. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office grievesat the loss of one of their own. . .Deputy Mark A. Longway died on September 21, 2010in a traffic crash while driving his patrol car. Deputy Longway was assigned to the Homeland Security Division/Port Security at Channelside. Deputy Longway, 48, joined the Sheriff’s Office in July 2004. He served in the Patrol Division before being reassigned earlier this year to the Port Security detail. Deputy Longway was a decorated veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having earned numerous medals and accolades during his military service. He served our nation for 21 years. Mark decided to become a deputy after hearing about a hiring initiative while at MacDill Air Force Base. He knew he wanted to continue serving his fellow citizens. Mark was selected to be one of HCSO’s first recipients of the Integrity Grant scholarship. The “Could You Answer The Call?” program utilized federal grant money to target outstanding deputy cadets and offer them a monthly stipend and tuition for our law enforcement academy. Mark fit the bill perfectly.  As Mark once noted:  “This [deputy’s] uniform is just a different color. I’m still serving. First it was my country, now it is my county.’’  Wonderful words from one of our heroes.  Deputy Longway was an outstanding law enforcement officer. Among his accomplishments: he once helped save a suicidal man from jumping off the roof of a business. In another instance, Deputy Longway’s compassion and professional manner was noted by a citizen in a survey. The citizen gave him a rating of “excellent’’ in every category, an accomplishment few deputies achieved. That distinction earned him an HCSO commendation for making a lasting impression on a citizen.  Deputy Longway leaves behind a wife, two daughters, and three grandchildren.  Deputy Longway, thank you for your service to our nation and to our county. We are proud to have called you a friend and colleague. Deputy Longway often worked in Channelside. Precinct Pizza knew Deputy Longway well, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Laura, Sherri, Brandi, and the whole Longway family. Precinct Pizza will match all donations made through our store up to a $500.00 per month. We have a condolence box at our counter in our store, or you can send your gift to: Make Checks Payable To: Deputy Mark Longway Memorial Fund  c/o Lynn Sowers Foundation P.O. Box 3771 Tampa, FL 33601  Our payments to the Fallen Heroes fund will be made monthly. Precinct Pizza feels the pain that many have felt through the Tampa Bay area. This Officer was not just a symbol of Heroism, but he was our customer, & friend as well. Many Police Officers dine at Precinct Pizza, & we have come to know many of them well.                FDNY AMBULANCE ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001      Our fund began on July 10,2010. Through December 23rd, 2011,  Precinct Pizza has raised $1,569.00 for the Fallen Heroes Foundation.