MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Just over 24 hours after the death of Trooper Joseph Bullock, the pain and anguish over his death throughout law enforcement are palpable. Trooper Bullock was a beloved officer.
A friend and former colleague shared his thoughts on a man he will never forget.
MORE: Trooper remembered as 'reliable, trustworthy'
"We're talking about the epitome of what a Florida highway patrolman is supposed to be," Detective Corey Lee of the Stuart Police Department said.
In 2008, Lee was with the highway patrol and met Trooper Joseph Bullock. He admired his devotion to the job.
"A man that goes out every day not looking for accolades, not looking for any kind of attention," he said.
Lee says, Wednesday he heard over the radio one of his officers was escorting an ambulance on I-95. He started making calls.
"They said hey, it's Joe, we don't know anything more we just know Joe is down and that's it. And then probably about five minutes later Martin County Fire and Rescue confirmed that he was deceased on scene," he said.
Lee says he's dealing with the death of his friend the only way he knows how.
"You just get close to your family, you get close to the brotherhood that we live in," he said.
Lee says, Trooper Bullock was a special kind of man who truly loved helping people.
"Joe pulled a girl just within the last two months out of a sinking vehicle off of I-95. Couldn't care less if you heard a word other than a pat on his back he knows he did his job. Joe did his job because he knew that was his job," Lee said.