Cuba Gooding Jr. -- Tearfully Remembers Murdered Dallas Cop (PHOTO/VIDEO)

Cuba Gooding Jr. got emotional when our photog asked about the chance photo he took a few months ago with one of the slain Dallas cops.

Cuba mugged with Patrick Zamarripa back in February when the officer was on patrol in Dallas.

When we asked Cuba about it as he was leaving Firefly in Studio City, he welled up with tears.

Cuba has always been kind to cops ... joking around a few months ago with a pack of NYC officers.