Memorial dedicated to fallen Trooper Scott Gonzalez at Hope Station on 28th anniversary of line-of-duty death
HOPE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Warren County) — Members of the New Jersey State Police, local officials, family, and friends gathered Friday morning at Hope Station for a memorial dedication ceremony honoring Trooper Scott M. Gonzalez, who was killed in the line of duty 28 years ago.
Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Hope Mayor Timothy McDonough, members of the Gonzalez family, and a group of active and retired troopers attended the ceremony, which marked the 28th anniversary of Trooper Gonzalez’s death.
On October 24, 1997, Trooper Gonzalez made the ultimate sacrifice when he was shot while pursuing a burglary suspect on O’Brien Road in Mansfield Township, Warren County. At approximately 4:28 p.m., he cornered the suspect on a dead-end road. The suspect then rammed Trooper Gonzalez’s vehicle head-on before exiting his truck and firing a shotgun, fatally wounding the trooper. Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Born on March 29, 1962, in Passaic, New Jersey, Gonzalez lived in Hampton, Hunterdon County. Before joining the State Police, he served as a police officer with the Plainfield Police Department.
Trooper Gonzalez enlisted in the New Jersey State Police on January 15, 1993, as a member of the 113th Class and was assigned to Troop “B” Hope at the time of his death. He served for four years and nine months, and his career was defined by loyalty, fearless performance of duty, and faithful devotion to the high principles of the New Jersey State Police.
The new memorial, located at Hope Station, where Trooper Gonzalez was stationed, serves as a lasting tribute to his bravery, dedication, and selfless service.
“Family, friends, and fellow troopers came together to remember and honor Trooper Gonzalez’s bravery, dedication, and sacrifice,” State Police officials said. “The memorial, now standing proudly at Hope Station—the same station where Trooper Gonzalez was assigned—serves as a lasting reminder of his courage and devotion to duty.”
