Beloved coach, off-duty officer, killed in Vegas attacks
LAS VEGAS - An off-duty Las Vegas Metro police officer, a youth football coach, and father of two, Charleston Hartfield had posted a photo of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival just hours before he was shot and killed by a gunman firing from the Mandalay Bay hotel.
The officer had updated his cover photo on Facebook earlier the evening with a photo of the Route 91 festival sign, and as people awoke to hear of the tragic news that unfolded the morning after, comments were posted by concerned friends. "Charleston Hartfield, are you OK?" wrote one. "Coach check in," wrote another, before the news had spread that Hartfield, also known as "Coach Chucky" to his players, had lost his life that night.
"Coach Hartfield touched many lives both on and off the field," a post on the Henderson Cowboys Facebook page said. "Players and alumni, Coach Chucky would want you to keep to the plan and keep moving forward. Use as motivation and inspiration; not for sadness and sorrow," the post read.
Thursday, the body of Hartfield was escorted by family and Las Vegas police officers to the Palm Downtown Mortuary and Cemetery. Dozens of Hartfield's colleagues lined the route to pay their respects.
The 34-year-old had also just published a book this summer titled "Memoirs of a Public Servant," about how the calls officers handle affect their lives, which is available on Amazon.
Along with 11 years in law enforcement, Hartfield says in his bio that he also had 16 years of active military service. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Hartfield was a Sgt. 1st class in the Nevada Army National Guard, assigned to the 100th Quartermaster Company, based in Las Vegas.
59 people were gunned down at the music festival by a man shooting from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay across the street from the festival on October 1st. More than 500 others were injured.