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Slain Ariz. officer laid to rest

Travis Murphy died May 26 after he and a Squaw Peak Precinct squad partner responded to a suspicious-vehicle call

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A 21-gun salute takes place during the graveside service for Phoenix police officer Travis Murphy Wednesday, June 2, 2010, in Phoenix. The 29-year-old officer was fatally shot May 26 during an early morning confrontation with a suspect.

AP Photo/Matt York

Phoenix police Officer Travis Murphy was a die-hard Suns fan who delighted in heckling the referees and a talented cook who actually knew how to bake decent cookies, according to some of the eulogies that shed light on his character.

Tearful remarks from the officer’s wife and mother followed during the officer’s funeral services Wednesday, reminding those still getting to know him after last week’s line-of-duty death that those qualities would also create a lasting void among loved ones.

Murphy, 29, was laid to rest amid a 21-gun salute and helicopter police flyover at Phoenix Memorial Park Cemetery that followed services of an overflow crowd of 3,600 at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria.

Read more from the Arizona Republic.