Officer Brian D. Stockhoff of the Ocean County Sheriff's Department "had such a presence about him," according to friends, and was hardworking, compassionate, and supportive.
As friends and colleagues mourned the death of an Ocean County sheriff's officer in a crash Monday in Lakewood, they remembered him as someone who always had a smile and a positive outlook.
Brian D. Stockhoff, 41, was killed early Monday morningafter his Toyota Sienna collided with a brick wall outside of Leisure Village East on Shorrock Street. Lakewood police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office are still investigating the crash.
Ocean County Mounted Unit a Benefit to Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Michael Mastronardy said Tuesday that Stockhoff, a graduate of Point Pleasant Beach High School, served for the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department until joining the Ocean County Sheriff's Office in 2008.
"He was simply a great person," Mastronardy recalled, describing an officer with a positive outlook and a smile on his face.
That was clear in photo after photo shared in public tributes to him by friends and coworkers, who described him as hardworking, compassionate, and supportive, and in photos on his personal Facebook page, where he was often seen with his wife and two children.
Stockhoff enjoyed a variety of activities, including golfing and softballing with friends, going to concerts, and volunteering as a youth football coach.
Stockhoff was a journalist in the United States Army Reserves, according to Mastronardy.
But he was most recognized for establishing the mounted unit of the Ocean County Sheriff's Department. Mastronardy stated that this began immediately after he took office as county sheriff.
