Slain Fish and Wildlife officer honored

OLYMPIA-- A state Fish and Wildlife officer killed in the line of duty in 1984 while conducting a hunting license check was honored posthumously today with the Washington State Medal of Honor.

The medal recognizes Officer Terry Hoffer who resided in Buckley. Gov. Gary Locke presented the award to Hoffer's widow, Gloria Hoffer-Hancock, in a ceremony this afternoon in the Capitol rotunda.

Hoffer was killed Nov. 10, 1984, while on patrol near Buckley. Hoffer, who was 35 at the time, was fatally shot as he approached a vehicle to make a routine hunting license check. Two men inside the vehicle fled the scene and were later arrested. At the time of his death Hoffer had worked nine years with the former Department of Game.

The Medal of Honor annually recognizes law enforcement officers who have been killed or assaulted in the line of duty. Hoffer's was one of six medals awarded by the Washington State Medal of Honor Committee, which is comprised of representatives of the Attorney General's Office, the Governor's Office, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the Washington State Troopers' Association, the Washington State Law Enforcement Association and the Washington Council of Police.