A father of three, an officer and devoted Mormon who didn't, drink, smoke or curse, was remembered on Thursday as a loving man after he was killed by a suspected drunken driver, who police said blasted through a red light.
Officer Bryce Hanes, 40, was leaving the West Valley Detention Center in his cruiser after 2 a.m. when it was T-boned in Ontario, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said.
Hanes was killed and the suspect was arrested.
Mourners paid tribute to Hanes by placing flowers on a department memorial for fallen officers. He was being remembered as a loving man by his closely-knit Mormon congregation in Redlands.
"I love him and I loved his family," said Bishop Marc Larson. "He'll be respected and remembered as a man who always smiled and loved every person he came in contact with."
A Dodge Charger blew through a red light while heading east, smashing into the passenger side of the patrol car, which spun out of control and hit a traffic signal, according to a police statement.
The Charger went off the road, over a dirt embankment and wound up in a field, police said.
Hanes, a 12-year veteran of the department, suffered massive injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he died, the chief said at a news conference.
Burguan praised Hanes.
"He never received complaints," Burguan said. "He literally has been an exemplary officer for this city and this department."
Archie Green III, 27, of Fontana, was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI causing injury or death, police said.
Hanes, a Redlands resident who spent his entire career with the department's patrol division, is survived by a wife and three children under the age of 12.
Flags at the state Capitol will be flown at half-staff in honor of Hanes, Governor Jerry Brown said in a statement. Brown said he and his wife, Anne, "join all Californians in mourning his loss and vow to always remember his selfless service and sacrifice on behalf of his community."
The Inland Empire Emerald Society plans to host a tribute to Hanes on Friday night at Shamrock's Pub and Grille.
NBC4 Wire Services contributed to this report.
