Heartbroken widow of slain Michigan officer remembers him as 'truly exceptional': 'Our family lost everything'
Jacqueline Reckling said her family has lost its "rock" after her husband was killed in the line of duty Saturday night, leaving behind three young children and one on the way.
"The world has been hearing about how the Oakland County Sheriff's Office lost a talented and dedicated detective this weekend. But more significantly, our family lost everything," the grieving widow told "Fox & Friends" Tuesday.
Thirty-year-old Bradley Reckling, a Michigan sheriff’s deputy, was killed in an ambush when the driver of a stolen vehicle jumped out and opened fire.
Jacqueline, who is pregnant with the couple's fourth child, said her young daughters – ages six, four and one – do not yet fully understand what happened to their father.
"He was everything that was good and truly an exceptional human being. He poured his entire heart into every aspect of his life, and he was selfless in giving. He put himself before others, and he always showed up," she said. "He loved being a detective, and he was a great detective for all those reasons. But he loved being a dad more, and he was the best dad to our girls. … He taught so much to our girls, and they looked up to him so much. They wanted to be just like him. And they deserve so much more time with him."
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told "Fox & Friends First" that Bradley was in plain clothes and an unmarked car at the time of the incident. He reported that three people have since been arrested.
Bouchard noted Bradley’s diligence and work ethic, saying he was "honored" to promote him to sheriff’s deputy.
"So many people are hurting after this and just crushed, quite frankly," Bouchard said. "I think sometimes when you lose someone that’s this impactful and larger-than-life, it makes a bigger crater, if you will."
"What we’re trying to do is do everything we can to help the family, support the family, take out some of the financial bumps and edges that they’re going to be facing. We’ll never fill that hole, no one will ever be able to do that, but we’re going to try to help them on things we can help and be there for them."
WHO SUFFERS FROM DEFUNDING THE POLICE? THIS BLUE CITY HAS OVER 1,000 UNSOLVED MURDERS
Tunnel to Towers CEO Frank Siller has since promised to pay off the Recklings’ mortgage to help alleviate the financial burden Jacqueline now faces as a soon-to-be mother of four. The family also has a GoFundMe page for support.
Jacqueline's message to Americans is to remember that police officers are just doing their jobs and going home to their families like everyone else.
"Brad was my best friend. We made such a great team together, and we were building such a beautiful life," she said. "We lost the rock of our family in addition to the community losing a detective."