When Katherine Linnick reported for duty in Corpus Christi for the Coast Guard Reserve she hoped she would get to work with Kenneth Copeland. 

Linnick met Copeland in 2004 when the two reported to do offshore security boarding on vessels in the Port of Corpus Christi. They also would conduct shore side security patrols, she said. 

Copeland, a San Marcos Police Officer, was shot and killed Monday while serving a warrant in San Marcos. He was still active in the Coast Guard Reserve, Corpus Christi Sector. 

Linnick is a Chief Petty Officer in the Coast Guard and is stationed in New Haven Connecticut. She served alongside Copeland. 

"He was always reliable and one of the most selfless people I worked with," Linnick said.

Copeland, 58, was wearing a protective vest when he was shot multiple times on Monday. He was taken to Central Texas Medical Center where he later died, according to a news release from the City of San Marcos. 

"He was very lighthearted and always put others at ease during conversation, which made him a likable person," Linnick said. "He always talked about his kids and wife and how much he missed them while being on active duty."

His time in the Coast Guard also included duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

Copeland, who joined the department in 1998, is the first line-of-duty death in the San Marcos Police Department. 

"He will be sorely missed," Linnick said. "He was a dedicated family man and a great fellow Coastie."