Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

To The Family of Sgt.Tom Hontz,

I am sorry to hear of your loss today. May God watch over you as I know Tom will be. Tom will be closer to us now then he has ever been.

Officer J. Bommarito
SRPD

Rest in peace, Sergeant. The others have the watch now. May God bless and comfort your family and friends.

Friend

I had the distinct pleasure of working for Sgt. Hontz as a member of the SWAT team. He was a wealth of knowledge both in SWAT tactics and in the instruction of defensive tactics. More importantly, however, Tom was a great guy to be around with a unique sense of humor. The void that his death brings to my agency will never be completely filled.

Rest in peace Tom, you will be greatly missed.

Sgt. Jeff Walther
Scottsdale Police Department

Sgt. Hontz made the ultimate sacrifice... during training he gave his life so that others might have a better chance of living. We as SWAT Officers understand that even the training we go through is dangerous, thereby preparing us to face the worst evils that man can throw at us. When there is no one left, they call SWAT. We are the last line of defense. Sgt. Hontz answered that call and he is now remembered by the SWAT community as a brother and a hero. He will live on in our hearts and minds.

God bless his family and co-workers so that they can cope with their loss.

SWAT Officer Matt Cabot
Thornton Police Dept.
Thornton, Co.

SWAT Officer Matt Cabot
Thornton Police Department

To the friends and family of Sgt. Hontz, we are saddened by the loss of a brother Officer and true leader. May god bless you during your time of loss.

Ofc. Chris Lee K-9 Handler
Marana P.D. (AZ)

To Sergeant Hontz family and friends, our heart and prayers go out to you.

God Bless you

Terry Miyares
widow
Officer Emilio
Hialeah PD, FL
1959-1986

terry miyares
Hialeah Police Dept, (SOUTH FLORIDA COPS)

To Tom Hontz :

A friend who left a legacy of honor, duty, & commitment.

From time to time, God sees fit to bless our lives with special people. The kind of people that make rough times a little more smooth. The kind of people that bring a laugh or a fun-loving practical joke with them, wherever they show up. The sort of soul that makes hurting feel a little better.

He also brings us brave men, who will stand up and say to those that oppress the weak, “Not on my watch you don’t…you’ll have to get through me first!” The one who possess the honorable spirit that rushes into the face of danger, careless of his own welfare, all for the sake of his calling. The type of soul that touches the lives of those around him, indelibly, even though he may not know it. Someone who can’t find a way to say “I quit”. A person that will find ways to make it work, not matter what “it” is.

Tom Hontz was all of that and so much more. His dedication and commitment to our chosen profession will withstand the strongest of scrutiny, and it will fuel the fires of our passion for this work we do far into the future. Because Tom came, others will go. We must not forget that when the others go, they will go better trained, better equipped, and far more ready than they could have been had it not been for the impact this single life etched into the sacred and hallowed walls of American and Arizona law enforcement.

It is times like these, so hard to face, that we must endeavor to thank God for bringing us men like Tom Hontz. Like I heard it said once already, “It’s not time to focus on how Tom left us, but it’s about what he did while he was here.”

I’ll second that. Tommy, my friend, you brought a lot with you. I call myself honored to have known you. I laughed with you, I even laughed at you (thinking of the time my K9 nipped you in the rear for stepping on his toes on a SWAT OP). I walked in places where many fear to tread, and you shared my steps. I confided in you. I even cried in front of you once, something I swore I would never do on duty. But, you made it okay. It was a kid, and although I tried, I couldn’t save her. You gave me the peace and the space I needed to get it together, and head back out there…

To the Hontz family…I can’t imagine what I could possibly say that would bring some sense of peace, or any comfort at all, so I wont even try. But instead, I will make a request of you…

Wherever the path of life takes you tomorrow, stand up tall! Be proud in all you do! For among all of us, you are the most blessed, for you were his treasure here on earth. Few could ever hope to measure up to what he was, let that be your strength and your fortress.
God Bless and comfort you…

Sgt. J.R. Parrow

Sgt. J.R. Parrow
Scottsdale Police Dept.

To the family of Sgt Tom Hontz.
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of sorrow.
There never was a better officer, trainer, friend. I had the opportunity to work with Tom several times and was thankful for every one. Tom's abilities far surpassed those of the average trainer. The law enforcement community lost a good person, but we need to be thankful to God for the time we had with Tom and the knowledge we gained from being his friend
Craig Fokken/PPCT-IT

Craig Fokken
Jacksonville, Florida, Sheriff's Office