O'Rourke called model officer, dedicated husband and father

Monday was a day of mourning in West Bloomfield where a veteran police officer was killed.  Twelve years on the job, Officer Patrick O'Rourke started as a cadet in 1997 (picture above) and joined the department in the year 2000.  He was honored with a life saving award, three certificates of merit and three unit commendations.  He is being called a model police officer, a dedicated husband and father and a great friend.

O'Rourke, who grew up in Hartland, lived in Fenton with his wife and four children, the youngest just eight months old.

"The dangers are forever there.  It's really close to home," said Don Farly.

His own son is a police officer in Utah.  He and others stopped by the police department with food and condolences.  There are 71 people in the department.  They are a family and one of their own has been killed.  The flags outside are flying at half staff.

"This is the first fatality that we've had in West Bloomfield Township," said township supervisor Michelle Economou Ureste.

She spent the early morning hours tending to the needs of neighbors evacuated and brought to the township offices when the shooting started over on Forest Edge.

"I heard a shot at eleven o'clock and then shortly thereafter we heard the police cars," said Lori Sellman.

She and her husband were evacuated by police.

"You're sleeping and all of a sudden you've got knocks on your door and you have to get dressed quickly and you're being driven away in a Humvee, and I'm in West Bloomfield, Michigan and this doesn't happen.  This is stuff you see in the movies.  It's crazy."

Sellman said her neighbor, Ricky Coley, seemed like a nice guy.

"We've never had any problems whatsoever.  They would come trick or treat with their child and we had no issues.  He was a good neighbor," she explained.  "When we spoke to him, he was a nice guy, so I don't know what happened, and it's just a very sad situation and we feel badly about the police officer that was shot and his family."

A candlelight vigil for O'Rourke will be held Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. outside the West Bloomfield Township Police Department, located at 4530 Walnut Lake Road.

Township Clerk Catherine Shaughnessy said a fund for O'Rourke's family is being started by the police department.  Details on how donations can be made will be announced at the vigil.