Community rallies to honor fallen Tulare County Sheriff's Deputy Randy Hoppert

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Remembering and honoring Tulare County Deputy Randy Hoppert is top of mind for many in the Central Valley.

Hoppert was shot and killed while serving an eviction notice in Porterville last Thursday.

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The tragedy is weighing heavily on the community as Hoppert leaves behind a pregnant wife and family.

"His mom and his wife lost him," Tulare resident Rita Quihuiz said. "Who wants to lose their child? Who wants to lose their husband? Over something senseless."

A procession of first responders from across the Valley escorted the fallen deputy from the coroner's office to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel on Monday, where dozens paid their respects.

"This shouldn't be happening today," Quihuiz said through tears. "This should be a day where he's at work happy. He seemed like a very wonderful person."

Several organizations have set up fundraisers to help his family, including the Visalia Rawhide which announced all ticket sales for this Thursday's game will go to the Hopperts.

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"We just wanted to do our part. This is so much bigger than a single event. We are just trying to find a way to help the family," Visalia Rawhide Chief Operating Officer Julian Rifkind stated.

The team expects to get close to a sellout in hopes of giving the family as much as possible.

"I don't know what we thought we were going to get, but it definitely wasn't over 800 tickets in a 48-hour window of time," Rifkind explained.

The team says there will be a moment of silence to honor Hoppert, who served in the U.S. Navy from 2010 to 2015 and joined the Tulare County Sheriff's Office in January 2020.

RELATED: Suspect in Tulare County deputy's killing was allegedly upset over eviction

He comes from a long line of family members who have served the Tulare County Sheriff's Office: his grandfather, Doyle Hoppert, was the undersheriff; his dad, Randy Sr., is a retired deputy; and his aunt and uncle are both former deputies.

His own service was cut short, but his legacy lives on.

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