Remembering Greenville Police Officer Cooper Dawson: a dedicated officer's journey
GREENVILLE — As Greenville and all of North Texas mourn fallen Greenville Police Officer Cooper Dawson, CBS News Texas sat down with someone who knew Dawson before he ever put on the badge.
"This was his ultimate dream to be a police officer and serve his community he had that servant heart," said Kevin Quintanar, an old friend of Dawson.
Before he served as a police officer in the Garland Police Department and later the Greenville Police Department, Dawson launched his career in law enforcement as a detention officer in Grand Prairie. Quintanar was his trainer and the two grew close over the two years they worked together.
"Me and a couple other friends around the same age, we styled ourselves the 'Ninja Turtles,' he was our Michelangelo because he was the youngest and the goofiest," said Quintanar.
Quintanar knew Dawson was destined to become a police officer so when Dawson got that first job with Garland Police he couldn't help but be proud.
"I was just so proud, I felt like a proud older brother," said Quintanar.
But Tuesday Quintanar saw the headline he never wanted to read: Officer Cooper Dawson at just 27 years old was killed in the line of duty while pursuing a suspect after a traffic stop. Despite being ambushed and shot multiple times, Dawson returned fire, striking the suspect.
"It didn't surprise me at all, that is him to the bone," said Quintanar. "His courage to stick to his training to subdue his suspect, it's just a testament to how hard he worked. He worked to get to where he was, to how serious he took his training," he continued. "That's the definition of courage."
Communities across North Texas from Garland to Greenville to Grand Prairie are all feeling the loss of a hero.
"It's not a cliche to say we lost a good one. He was a good one," said Quintanar.
Funeral services for Dawson are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Dec. 3 at Lake Pointe Church, located at 701 E. Interstate 30 in Rockwall. Chapel doors will open at 9 a.m. for the general public to pay their respects and the service will begin at 10 a.m.
