TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department on Monday officially marked 10 years since Corporal Michael J. "Mike" Roberts was killed in the line of duty with a memorial remembrance ceremony.
- Roberts killed while questioning a suspicious man in neighborhood hit by recent burglaries
- Roberts, 38 at the time of his death, was 11-year veteran of department
- More Hillsborough County stories
The city and the agency held the ceremony at the Memorial for Fallen Officers Monday morning.
It’s something the department does on the tenth anniversary of every officer lost in the line of duty. That doesn’t mean, however, that they aren’t remembered every single day.
In fact, some members of the Tampa Police Department remember August 19, 2009 like it was yesterday.
“Mike was a good friend of mine, and he had actually given me a message to call him minutes before he actually stopped the person and this all happened,” said Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan.
That night, Roberts responded to a neighborhood that had recently experienced several burglaries, and noticed a suspicious person pushing a shopping cart.
When he stopped the man for questioning, it started a struggle, during which Roberts attempted to use his taser. The man ran, and Roberts gave chase.
Shortly after, they fought again, and this time the assailant drew a pistol and struck Roberts several times. Then he fired a single shot at a part of Roberts's chest not covered by his bulletproof vest.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who was chief of police when Roberts was shot and killed, attended Monday's ceremony.
“To look at Adam Roberts — Cindy Roberts was carrying him in her arms at the funeral, and now he’s six-foot-tall,” said Castor.
Ten years that feel like both a moment and an eternity at the same time.
“It just talks about so much time has passed, but it doesn’t change the significance of the loss of Mike Roberts’s life,” said Castor.