On April 24th, 1984, Officer Hawkins was killed by a passing pickup truck. He was on a nighttime undercover assignment attempting to cross a freeway frontage road when the accident occurred. Officer Hawkins helped establish a hostage/barricade negotiations unit and was a negotiator in hostage situations. He was thirty-four years old at the time of his death and a twelve year veteran. Officer Hawkins was survived by his wife and two young children.