PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Valley widow is taking the city of Phoenix and its police chief to court to stop the sale of the gun used to murder her husband, a Phoenix police officer killed in the line of duty.

Julie Erfle, the widow of Officer Nick Erfle, argues that auctioning off the weapon violates her rights as a crime victim under the Arizona Victims’ Bill of Rights .

The lawsuit was filed last week and seeks a court order preventing the city from selling the gun and instead requiring it to be destroyed.

“He died a hero, doing the job he loved the most,” Erfle said, reflecting on the day her husband was killed.

On Sept. 18, 2007, Officer Nick Erfle was shot twice while approaching a man blocking traffic in central Phoenix. For nearly two decades, his widow has worked to heal, but on

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