Clayton Townsend was a father, husband and dedicated Salt River police officer.
"He really was living his dream. This was a calling for Clayton," Clayton's older brother Cole said.
Cole said being a police officer was Clayton's dream even as an 8-year-old boy, when he would dress up as Walker, Texas Ranger, and go around with his younger brother Trey, pretending to solve mysteries.
Friday night, his impact on the community he served, was evident from the hundreds who showed up to support him at a vigil held at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Two Waters Complex
Townsend was struck and killed by a distracted driver on Wednesday night while conducting a traffic stop.
Many in the community had only met Clayton briefly, but his influence on them was powerful.
That includes one woman, who didn't share her name, but recalled a story of when Clayton helped her during a domestic dispute.
"I stepped on the side of officer Townsend, and he pushed me behind him in case there was a conflict with my brother, and he protected me... and I owe him everything," she said.
His brothers said Clayton was special in the way he cared for people in the community and they said they will do the same for his 10-month-old son.
"Clayton can never be replaced," Cole said. "He was a very, very special person and he had an amazing heart. I was the older brother, but I looked up to him."