Community mourns, pays tribute to fallen Deptford police officer

DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) -- One day after learning that Officer Robert "Bobby" Shisler had passed away, people came to leave flowers, cards, and homemade signs on his patrol car, which now sits under black bunting at the Deptford Township Municipal Building.

It's the first line of duty death for the Deptford Township Police Department.

READ | New Jersey police officer dies from gunshot wound sustained in line of duty

"Terrible. My heart just bleeds for the family and for him," said Deptford resident Fran Rutter.

"Very sad for all the police officers, for Deptford and the Shisler family," said Mark Tokley of Deptford Township.

Officer Shisler was shot in the line of duty on March 10.

According to the state attorney general, Shisler made a pedestrian stop on Delsea Drive.

While details of the stop itself have not been released, authorities say it turned into a chase and a struggle, and shots were fired.

The pedestrian, Mitchell Negron Jr., was killed.

Shisler was shot in the leg and critically wounded. He spent weeks at Cooper's ICU.

He was then moved to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, where he passed away on Sunday.

"He engaged with an armed, violent individual and he took on that threat so one of our residents here in Deptford Township did not have to take on that threat," said Det. Sgt. Bob Jones of the Deptford Township Police Department.

The 27-year-old officer is survived by his parents, brother, and sister.

"He's a local kid. He came up through the school district here. He graduated from Deptford High School. He played baseball here in the township. This is where he wanted to work," said Jones.

For weeks, residents displayed signs and wore shirts as a show of support.

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Melissa Nunley came to pay respects with her 3-year-old son, Nehemiah.

"Not only am I a Deptford resident my whole life, his father's in the police academy," said Nunley. "It's a tough one. Not only for everybody in the area, for the family, but you just think, it could be ours."

Current and former law enforcement officers stopped by too, adding to the memorial.

"He was a warrior," said Thomas Sullivan, retired chief of Gloucester County detectives. "He fought for two months and at the end it got to be too much."

Police say the gestures of kindness from the community have been a huge help.

"The strength we've been given from the community, from Officer Shisler's family, his friends, has been overwhelming. It's something that has gotten us through this very difficult time," said Jones.

On Tuesday, Officer Shisler's body will be brought back to Deptford from the medical examiner's office in Philadelphia.

Funeral arrangements are still being finalized.

Shisler's patrol car and the memorial will remain at the township building until his funeral.