MILLVILLE, N.J. -
A flag-draped casket and the sound of bag pipes can dampen the eyes of even the toughest men, especially when the man underneath the stars and stripes is described as Millville's own "Superman."
In Millville, N.J., Officer Christopher W. Reeves, who had been on the job for eight years, was killed early Sunday when a suspect crashed into his cruiser.
Rosa Ramos said of the 40-year-old Reeves, "He was a sweetheart."
Courtney Marley said, "He was just an all around good guy."
Vick Rone, a business partner of Reeves' father, called the late officer "an honest, clean-cut kid that you'd like to have for your own son."
Reeves was a Marine, volunteer firefighter and Millville police officer who was married to another Millville police officer and was father to a 2-year-old son, Alex, who he adored.
As an only-child himself, Reeves was the apple of his father's eye.
"It was a shock," Rone said. "A real shock. Heart-breaking."
Marisol Rivera said of the news Reeves had died, "I couldn't believe it. I was wondering where my police officers were for breakfast."
Reeves and other officers would come in to Bob Evans for breakfast after their shifts most Sunday mornings.
Rivera said he was "funny, likes his turkey links, a good guy."
But last Sunday, Reeves didn't make it to breakfast. He was killed just after 2 a.m. when his patrol car was hit by 23-year-old Timothy Seidel of Commercial Township.
Seidel was bring pursued after police say he hit a different police cruiser just moments earlier.
The death stunned the South Jersey town.
A viewing was held Friday morning at Lakeside Middle School before a 1 p.m. funeral and then burial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Millville police Chief Thomas Haas released a statement Thursday about Officer Reeves. He recalled his first day saying quote, "The word was out that the police department had hired Superman, Christopher Reeves."
"He was a fireball of energy - a lot start out that way and then settle into a routine; he didn't."
Haas goes on to say, "Millville has lost a great friend, a respected and dedicated police officer, a loving and dedicated family man, an uninhibited father. Yes, I believe this fits the description of Millville's Superman."
To read the entire touching tribute, click here.
Susan Luongo, Reeves' cousin, said outside Friday's services, "He's left a legacy behind with his good deeds but also the fact that his son, he's left a son, and that is part of him, and that's his legacy."
The Millville Police Dept and the community have promised to protect the legacy of his only child. They started to do that today by having a private company record the services,
That way, the toddler will have an understanding of the man his father was, FOX 29's Stephanie Esposito reported.
