Officer killed by stray bullet remembered

Karen Zekan

Monday, Nov. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Metro Police Sgt. Jerry Passer's desk is empty, cleared of the many family photos and aviation memorabilia that had mirrored so much of his life.

So, too, is the office at the North Las Vegas Air Terminal -- blanketed in a frustrating melancholy for the 38-year-old veteran aviator who died Saturday morning at University Medical Center after lingering in a week-long coma.

Passer was shot in the head Nov. 9, moments after getting off his dirt bike in the desert near Apex, about 15 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Investigators have ruled the incident accidental, stating that the fatal bullet was fired by target shooters more than 1,000 feet away and nearly 46 feet below where Passer was standing.

Yet, to his friends, those details are merely an explanation. Their challenge now is coping with having only memories of a man for whom the department held high regard.

Services are set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Services Air Support building at the North Las Vegas Air Terminal, 2990 N. Rancho Drive, where Passer made his last departure the night before he was shot.

His death has touched all sections of Metro -- for at one time or another, almost every officer has looked to the sky for his help.

"He was the one always watching over us," said K-9 Sgt. Rory Tuggle, a longtime friend.

Passer was one of three rescue pilots Metro used in its search-and-rescue operations. His helicopter's beam also illuminated darkened neighborhoods to help police nab suspects fleeing on foot or by car.

"To replace him as a police officer -- well, it's not going to happen overnight," Tuggle said. "Not just for what he could do as a pilot, but for the person he was to this department."

Flying had been a passion of Passer for decades, as hobby and profession.

A native of Albert Lea, Minn., he moved to Las Vegas 18 years ago and served as a security officer at Nellis Air Force Base.

Passer joined Metro in 1980, serving in patrol, traffic and as a training officer before earning a spot with the air support section where he learned to fly helicopters. He also taught most of the section's current airmen to fly.

Helicopter pilots typically struggle for words when describing the thrill of flying an aircraft that can hover in mid-air and race across the skyline.

The rush easily can consume a pilot's life, yet colleagues say that while Passer was among the best, he also had a life outside work.

At the center of his world were his wife, Joan, and 15-year-old daughter, Sara, who friends say looks and acts just like her father -- tall, lanky, laid back and quiet.

Passer, who stood taller than 6 feet, was an active supporter of community causes and fund-raisers, especially Pop Warner football.

Free time saw him riding motorcycles, camping, fishing and target shooting. A favorite pastime with friends were day-long four-wheeling trips to Arizona, exploring old mines and following BLM fire roads.

Passer lived for a while on Mount Charleston, unusual only in that he would make the long trek into work -- even in the worst weather -- on his street bike. His response to friends' concern, typical of his easy-going attitude: "Once you get down past the snow, it's really not that bad."

"He was the type of person you wanted as a police officer and as your friend," said Officer Jim Hayes, a pilot on the graveyard shift Passer worked for years. "He was competent, level-headed, a good supervisor. He never had a negative outlook on life. Anyone that knew him respected him.

"This tragedy has created a big void for so many people. Jerry's gone, but he won't be forgotten."

In addition to his wife and daughter, Passer is survived by his parents, Marlen and Ruth Ann Passer of Phoenix; his sister, Jane Anderson of Los Angeles; and grandmother, Lilly Passer of Wells, Minn.

A bank account has been established to help his family. Donations can be made to the Jerald Passer Trust Fund at U.S. Bank of Nevada, account No. 8166014970.