The death of a Washington State Patrol trooper hit the sheriff of Kitsap County especially hard. Steve Boyer served 27 years with the State Patrol and once was the trooper's supervisor.

Sheriff Boyer stood in the foyer of the sheriff's office in Port Orchard Thursday and wiped away tears as he talked about the death of Tony Radulescu, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop on highway 16 near Gorst.

"I remember the day he came in the [State Patrol] office with a smile on his face and he was smiling every day since. He loved his job, he was proud of it, he was proud of the State Patrol, he was just a fine young man."

Boyer says Radulescu was a valuable resource, not just for the State Patrol but for all Kitsap County law enforcement.

"Tony spoke five languages and the local police agencies and the task forces, in particular the auto theft, would use him as an interpreter because some of the car theft gangs were from eastern bloc countries and so he could communicate and that was helpful in putting a number of people in jail," said Boyer.

Boyer says he always tells his deputies to kiss their loved ones and say goodbye.

"You take reasonable precautions but you never know...It can all be over in an instant." The sheriff says Radulescu was safety conscious but "sometimes," said Boyer, "the odds are just against you."

Tim Haeck, 97.3 KIRO FM Reporter

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