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Friend Remembers Fallen Lower Burrell Officer

LOWER BURRELL (KDKA) -- Details are emerging about the Lower Burrell Police officer killed in the line of duty.

The people who knew Officer Derek Kotecki are coming out to remember him.

Within moments of the radio call that an officer was down, dozens of police from neighboring communities responded to the Dairy Queen parking lot.

"I knew Derek pretty well and Derek was a very fine officer and he will be greatly missed by his family and the community," Ronald Hopkins, retired Arnold police Chief, said.

KDKA-TV has learned Kotecki was a K-9 officer and an 18-year veteran on the Lower Burrell police force. He was married and had two sons.

Rich Boucher says he has known Kotecki for about six or seven years.

"He was always a nice man," he told KDKA-TV. "He never had nothing bad to say about anybody."

"He was always smiling, always joking around, but he was a very good police officer, took his job seriously and everybody who knew him liked him.

"No one could ever have a bad word to say about him."

Stay with KDKA for the latest developments.

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