Officer Nick Heine, 30, collapsed and died from a heart condition about 2:00 am, June 21, 2008. Officer Heine and other officers had been working multiple bar disturbances in the Historic Union Avenue District when they were dispatched to another fight at a place called Bongimo’s. Nick and other officers took off on foot to the nearby bar. While running Nick told another officer he couldn’t breathe then collapsed in the 300 block of Victoria Street. CPR was attempted at the scene and then for over two hours at Parkview Medical Center before he was pronounced dead about 5:00 am.

Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer later determined that Heine had a congenital heart defect that put his heart into a fatal, irregular rhythm. Officer Heine was in excellent health, and no one knew about the heart defect. It could have happened at any time but working in a strenuous conditions appeared to have contributed to the heart condition. His mother, Corporal Pat Heine, also worked for the Pueblo Police Department

Nicholas Karl Heine was born in Pueblo on August 12, 1977. He graduated from Central High School in 1995 and attended college at the University of Northern Colorado where he majored in music, playing the tuba, trombone, trumpet and drums. Later he decided to become a Pueblo officer and started on January 8, 2001. Nick was survived by his wife Melissa, daughters Nichole, 7, and Rebecca, 4, mother Pat Heine, father Tom (Maryann) Heine, brother Jason and numerous other relatives and friends.

Services were held on June 26 at Praise Assembly of God Church on Troy Avenue. Pueblo Police Chief Jim Billings officiated the service. An estimated 900 people attended, and the funeral procession included close to 200 vehicles including police cars, motorcycles, fire apparatus and ambulances. Interment was at Roselawn Cemetery in Blende.

Sources: 
 Pueblo Police Department
Pueblo Chieftain – Jun 22-27, 2008
Denver Post - Jun 22, 2008