'Sensei' Kim: Family man, mentor and top officer

Before anything else, Sonny Kim was a family man. There was his wife, Jessica, and their three sons, Timothy, Joshua and Jacob.

Then came the 48 year-old's love for martial arts, and finally, his passion for helping the community as an exemplary police officer.

Known to many throughout the country as "sensei," meaning "teacher" in Japanese, Kim's effect on the hearts and minds of many could be felt on the rainy Friday that he was killed.

"Sonny always talked about his family – his wife and their three sons," said Pete Rabbitt, a professor at De Anza College in Cupertino, California, who met the Cincinnati police officer at a karate conference three years ago. Rabbitt said Kim "was so incredibly patient and kindhearted. He's an incredible person."

Rabbitt observed Kim's relationship with his wife. "They were always happy and smiling together – they acted like best friends," he said.

Kim, a Symmes Township resident, was internationally known for his mastery of Shotokan karate, a traditional martial arts form, and made friends through all corners of the globe. He regularly traveled around the world to teach students the nuances of karate, to some even more experienced than himself.

Kim's Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ pages highlighted the nearly 20 years Kim spent as an instructor, teaching Shotokan Karate to adults and children in the community at Japanese Karate-Do in Symmes Township for nearly 20 years.

On Friday, flowers and notes lined the outside of the Karate-Do storefront at 11910 Montgomery Road, where Kim was the chief instructor. "I love you and will never forget you," wrote one well-wisher in child's handwriting. Grieving people placing the memorials declined to speak to a reporter.

Kim developed deep friendships with people, becoming a father figure to some. Arjan Hura, who was raised in Symmes Township, met Kim when he was 7-years-old and trained with him for 18 years, according to a post on Hura's Facebook page. Now, Hura is one of the seven other instructor at Japanese Karate-Do.

"This morning, my best friend, mentor, teacher, role model, and lifelong Sensei, Officer Sonny Kim was killed in the line of duty," Hura wrote. "He was like a father to me."

In a 2014 interview with The Shotokan Way, an online magazine devoted to karate, Kim explained how he brought the principles of karate into his work as a police officer.

"As a police trainer we have a saying, which is, 'You will perform how you train,' Kim told the magazine.

"One must train hard and under pressure in a realistic environment – in the USA, most of our police tactical training deals mainly with firearm encounters. Having an assailant with a firearm will put you under some emotional and physiological duress. Back to karate – the point I want to make is you must also train your karate under pressure, consistently and physically hard to have a better chance to overcome and survive under duress."

'A true professional' with more than 20 commendations

For 27 years, Kim put on his uniform and protected the citizens of Cincinnati. But he did more than that, too. He went above and beyond the call of duty.

He helped Louise Watts when her car battery died. He went to the rescue of Sheral Foster when her car was damaged. He showed an NKU student the ins and outs of the job during a ride-a-long. He helped a woman find her elderly mother. He spent 15 hours helping officers search for escaped felons.

Kim's personnel files are full of such commendations. Over 20, to be precise, including one from the U.S. Department of Justice. And his efficiency ratings were extraordinary, straight As since 1997.

"Officer Kim is knowledgeable of his beat and the problems on it," wrote Cincinnati Police Lt. David Fink in 2012. "He has good communication skills, works well with his peers, and displays good officer safety skills."

In 2014, Sgt. Hank Ward provided similar acclaim. He praised Kim for how he handled a woman with a machete, who was at the window of her apartment shouting obscenities. Kim talked to the woman through a window, displaying "beat knowledge, street experience and patience," Ward wrote. The woman came out, without the machete, and was transported to the hospital.

And Kim was well-known to the community, too. He wasn't just another officer in blue. He was the duty officer for weekend services at Crossroads Church in Oakley.

"Officer Kim was a true professional," said Jennifer Sperry, a spokeswoman for the church said in a prepared statement. "He protected and led our community. He was kind, courteous and helpful. Simply put, he was an invaluable member of our team and we are heartbroken."

Cincinnati Police Sgt. Stephen Hoerst spent several years patrolling Madisonville, the same area as Kim. On Friday, he reminisced about their time together. Hoerst was always particular about where he'd place his stuff on his desk, and Kim would give him a hard time about it. "We know where the phone is," he'd joke. "Do you need to label where the phone is?"

"He was always joking around in that good-natured way," Hoerst said.

Assistant Police Chief Dave Bailey said he had known Kim since 1989, working the same shift. "He exemplified what a good police officer was," he said. "He was witty and fun, a good trusted friend."

"The department is going to miss him," Bailey said. "But I am sure the community will miss him much more."

Community Press reporter Jeanne Houck contributed.