On Friday, ex-New Orleans cop Robert Hoobler—who Lil Wayne says saved his life in 1994—was found dead in his Jefferson Parish, Louisiana home. No cause of death has been revealed, but someone who knew Hoobler told NOLA.com that he had serious health issues after his legs were amputated stemming from a car wreck.
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The rapper referred to Hoobler as “Uncle Bob” and credited him with saving his life after a suicide attempt. Born Dwayne Carter Jr., the artist shot himself in the chest when he was only 12 years old.
During an interview with former NFL player with Emmanuel Acho for his Uncomfortable Conversations series last year, Wayne shared that he had mental health issues and suicidal thoughts as a kid. He also said that during the 1994 attempt where he shot himself he:
“Didn’t feel it, aimed for my heart. And didn’t feel a thing, though. So I wasn’t going through any pain. It was the shock. I woke up to boom, boom, boom, to the police knocking. And that’s what woke me up.”
Hoobler immediately tended to Wayne and when he realized there weren’t any ambulances available, he took him to the hospital himself. A nurse explained to Hoobler that if they had waited for an ambulance, Wayne would have died according to the officer.
He was let go from Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department in 2012 after tasing and using racial epithets against a Black man he arrested after an argument. In 2019, TMZ claimed Lil Wayne told Hoobler he would financially support him in any way.
Hoobler was on the force for 33 years old. He was 65 years old when he passed away.
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