Officer's death 1st for township force

Families and friends remembered a West Bloomfield Township, Mich., police officer and the man who shot the officer and then killed himself as family men. West Bloomfield Township police officer Patrick O'Rourke, 39, was struck by gunfire Sunday when police responded to a call at the home of Ricky Nelson Coley, 50, whose body was found inside his home after a more than 20-hour standoff. Coley had just gotten divorced and was experiencing financial and legal problems, published accounts said. Family members and colleagues remembered O'Rourke, a 12-year department veteran, as a loving father of four, husband and son who, The Detroit News reported Tuesday. O'Rourke, 39, was West Bloomfield's first officer to die in the line of duty, the department said in a release. He died of his wounds after he was taken to a hospital in Pontiac. Steve Corry said O'Rourke, his son-in-law, was a good man, the News said. "Patrick is just an awesome guy," Corry said. "The kids just adored him. His wife is grieving because she lost her best friend." Coley, the man suspected of killing O'Rourke, was found dead Monday evening in a bedroom of the home. Coley had just gotten divorced and was faced financial and legal woes, including a court order to vacate his home by Monday or face eviction. He also was ordered by the court in several instances to pay tens of thousands of dollars in settlements. Neighbor Najab Ayar said Coley was a "family man" who was having family and financial problems, the Detroit Free Press said. "I would not believe he would do such a thing. I would not even dream it," Ayar said. Township supervisor Michele Economou Ureste said the township was "experiencing tremendous grief" over O'Rourke's death. "We are experiencing tremendous grief over the death of Officer O'Rourke," Ureste said in a statement. "We are joining with members of the West Bloomfield Clergy Association to honor the memory of this hero who was lost to a senseless act of violence." A funeral for O'Rourke is set for Friday.