North Virginia Beach , Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2021
1. Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial
Inscription.
Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial. . , The Virginia Beach Police Foundation, with the generous support of many individuals groups and corporations caused this memorial to be erected to honor the memory of those law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty while serving the citizens and visitors of the City of Virginia Beach. They will never be forgotten.
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week. Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week are observances in the United States that pay tribute to those local, state, and Federal peace officers who have died in the line of duty. Peace Officers Memorial Day is May 15, and Police Week is the calendar week in which this date falls.
Special Constable Malachi J. Beasley , Princess Anne County , EOW: September 24, 1898. On Saturday, September 24, 1898, Special Constable Beasley was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man wanted for stealing a handgun earlier in the day. The victim of the theft made a complaint to the local justice of the peace, who swore in Mr. Beasley as a Special Constable in order to arrest the suspect. Special Constable Besley located the suspect on North Landing Road, about one mile from Princess Anne County Courthouse. When the Constable informed the suspect that he was under arrest, the man immediately pulled out the stolen pistol and opened fire, striking Constable Beasley in the neck and head, killing him.
The suspect fled the scene but was later arrested by a posse. On October 3, 1898, a Grand Jury recommended his case be tried, and on December 6, 1898, he was sentenced to death by hanging. Special Constable Beasley had only been sworn in hours before he was murdered. His wife and three children survived him.
Officer Charles E. Porteus , Princess Anne County Police Department , EOW: June 16, 1952 . Officer Porteus was 29 years old with a wife and three children when he was killed during a traffic stop. He had stopped a Navy Chief Petty Officer, Richard Montgomery age 41, on Atlantic Avenue near 81st street at 3:45pm, on June 1, 1952 and was talking with him by his automobile. Another vehicle crushed into both Officer Porteus and Petty Officer Montgomery. Petty Officer Montgomery died instantly at the scene of the accident. Officer Porteus suffered a fractured skull, a fractured leg and internal injuries. Officer Porteus died as a result of his injuries, June 16, 1952 at Virginia Beach General Hospital.
A Fort Bragg, North Carolina Army Major, Vernon Mergler, witnessed the accident and followed the suspect for three blocks before bringing him back to the accident scene. The suspect was charged with Involuntary Homicide by the military police. He was charged with Hit and Run and manslaughter by the State police.
Officer Porteus was a veteran of World War II. He served in North Africa and the Naples, Anzio, Rome and Foggia campaigns in Italy during the war. He held the Purple Heart and the European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon.
"Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." , -Maya Angelou "Police Officers take risks and secure the safety of fellow citizens, and they endure such risks and tolerate such inconveniences on behalf of strangers. Consequently, police work is one of the more noble and selfless occupations in society. Making a difference in the quality of life is an opportunity that policing provides, and few other professions can offer." , -International Association of Chiefs of Police
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Special Officer Allen Gimbert , Princess Anne County Police Department , EOW: May 3, 1923. In May of 1923, prohibition was in full force in Princess Anne County. Allen Gimbert formed a group of concerned citizens and members of the London Bridge Baptist Church who were committed to stopping the bootletting problem. This group was known as the "Law and Order League," but most people referred to the group as the Purity Squad. In 1919, Allen Bimbert received the title of Special Officer from the Princess Anne County circuit court judge.
Special Officer Allen Gimbert risked his life to arrest and bring to justice moonshiners and bootleggers. He and his men were charged with finding and destroying illegal stills and arresting their operators. On May 3, 1923, Special Officer Allen Gimbert went on his last raid. He confronted a bootlegger, who drew a rifle and fatally shot Gimbert. Members of the Purity Squad returned fire, injuring the suspect. A five-day manhunt led to his capture. He was sentenced to a twenty-year prison term. Special Officer Gimbert was 44 years old, and was survived by his wife and four children.
Detective Robert R. Monette and Officer Roger L. McClung , Virginia Beach Police Department , EOW: December 19, 1968 . Officer McClung and Detective Monette were dive team trainees on an exercise in Lake Wesley on Thursday, December 19, 1968. At about 3:00 P.M. both drowned after helping to save another trainee who was in trouble.
Detective Monette was a Vietnam War veteran and had served Virginia Beach Police Department for two years. He was survived by his wife, 6-month-old daughter, and 2-year-old son.
Officer McClung was 32 years old and native of Roanoke, Virginia. He was a former member of the Norfolk Police Division, and had spent most of his life in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach area. He had joined the Virginia Beach Police Department on May 15, 1967.
Officer St. Elmo C. Trower , Princess Anne County Police Department , EOW: July 12, 1923 . Officer Trower was 42 years old when he was killed, and had been a police officer with the Princess Anne County police force for about a year. He was pursuing a speeding motorist on Virginia Boulevard with his motorcycle when a butty pulled in front of him from a side street. Officer Trower struck his head on the pavement after being thrown from the motorcycle when it crashed with the buggy.
The accident occurred shortly before 8:00 P.M. on a Wednesday night. Officer Trower died at 1:30 A.M. Thursday, July 12, 1923 at Saint Vincent's Hospital.
"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave." , -Calvin Coolidge
"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends out a tiny ripple of hope." , -Robert F. Kennedy
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Sergeant Frederick Dale Greene , U.S. Army Military Police Corps , EOW: December 6, 1975 . Sergeant Greene, U.S. Army Military Police Corps, succumbed to a gunshot wound received five years earlier while he and his partner investigated a burglary at the service station on Ft. Story, in Virginia Beach. The two officers were driving past the service station, located at Atlantic Avenue and 12th Street, at approximately 3:45 am, March 2, 1970 when they observed suspicious activity. As they approached the building two suspects came running out and opened fire, striking Sergeant Greene in the head and wounding his partner.
Sergeant Greene was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to the Salisbury, North Carolina, Veterans Affairs Hospital. He remained unconscious and in a respirator until his death on December 6, 1975. The two suspects fled the scene and the case remains unsolved.
Sergeant Greene was a Vietnam War veteran and had returned from combat only four months before the incident. He was assigned to the 222nd Military Police Department. He had been in the military for one year.
He was survived by his parents, four brothers, and three sisters.
Special Police Officer Hezekiah Little, Jr. , Princess Anne County, P.D. , EOW: August 2, 1953 . Special Police Officer Hezekiah Little was accidentally shot and killed by another officer as they were attempting to arrest along the Seaview Beach Amusement Park boardwalk on Sunday, August 2, 1953.
The suspect began to struggle with Officer Little and disarmed him. As the two continued to struggle the other officer fired two shots at the soldier, but struck Officer Little in the head, killing him. The suspect was arrested and charged with malicious assault and the officer who shot Officer Little was charged with manslaughter. Charges against the subject and the other officer were eventually dropped.
Officer Little had been appointed a special police officer for Princess Anne County to serve Seaview Beach only five weeks earlier, Seaview Beach Amusement Park and Beach was near Shore Drive and Great Neck Road, and closed when segregation ended.
He was survived by his wife, daughter and two sons, his parents, and 10 siblings.
"The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being the only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence." , -Sir Robert Peel
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Detective Jimmy Wayne Mobley and Officer William Douglas Black , Virginia Beach Police Department , EOW: July 11, 1979 . Officers Black and Mobley were operating a Virginia Beach Police Helicopter when it crashed in the Atlantic Ocean south of Rudee Inlet at 11:27 P.M. July 11, 1979. They had been dispatched to locate a disabled boat. Officers Black and Mobley located the disabled boat anchored about a quarter mile off shore and were guiding another boat to it with the police helicopter spotlight when the crash occurred.
Officer Black was 28 years old and a native of Montreal Canada. He had obtained his United States Citizenship in 1973, and had joined the virginia Beach Police Department on August 1, 1973.
Detective Mobley was 36 years old and a native of Columbus, Georgia. He had a wife, a daughter, and a son when he died. He had joined the Virginia Beach Police Department on December 19, 1967. In 1977 he was selected Police Officer of the Year by the Virginia Beach Jaycees. He had also received a third place award from the Virginia State Jaycees as an Outstanding Young Law Enforcement Officer from Virginia that same year.
One of the greatest rewards of my career was the Virginia Beach Police Foundation asking me to design and produce this monument. It honors women and men who have fallen in the line of duty. However, the inspiration was developed over months of meetings and discussions with the dedicated members of The Foundation. Thus, it is a shared vision: Our Officers support each other in order to support our Community. Without the daily attention and support of these singularly dedicated men and women, all of us would fall. , Paul DiPasquale, sculptor
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." , -Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Deputy Sheriff William Henry Tiedeman Jr. , Virginia Beach Police Department , EOW: November 7, 2006 . Deputy Tiedeman suffered a fatal heart attack while participating in a defense tactics training at the Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Training Academy. Another deputy immediately began CPR and administered an automated external defibrillator while the rescue squads were en route. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Deputy Tiedeman had served with the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office for 12 years. He also served in the U.S. Navy for over 23 years retiring as a Senior Chief. He is survived by his wife, son (who is also a deputy with the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office), grandson, brother, and sister.
Police Officer Daniel T. Maloney , Virginia Beach Police Department , EOW: December 27, 1981 . At 12:30 A.M., Sunday December 27, 1981, a woman called police to report that a man had assaulted and tried to rape her. As Communication Officers were preparing to broadcast this information to all units, Officer Maloney reported a suspicious vehicle. He tried to stop the vehicle but it sped off into a dead end on Challedon Drive. After the car stopped, the driver jumped out, and ran back to Officer Maloney's police vehicle firing through the driver's door window with a handgun.
Officer Maloney radioed for help reporting he had been shot. Several officers reached Officer Maloney within minutes and he was able to give a full description of the suspect vehicle and the driver who was now linked to the earlier assault and attempted rape.
Another officer observed the suspect vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. The driver jumped out and fired a shot at the officer, striking the windshield of his police vehicle. The officer returned fire, striking and killing the suspect. It was not until fingerprints were verified that it was learned that the suspect was an escaped felon who had been using his deceased nephew's identity.
Officer Maloney was 25 years old when he was killed. He had a wife who was 13 weeks pregnant with their first child. Officer Maloney held Associates and Bachelor's degrees and was working towards his Master's in Police Administration. He had joined the Virginia Beach Police Department in September, 1978.
Officer Maloney was the first City of Virginia Police officer to be shot and killed in the line of duty.
In valor there is hope , -Tacitus
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Auxiliary Officer George Wayne Starr , Virginia Beach Police Department , EOW August 31, 1991 . Officer STarr had completed his volunteered shift at the oceanfront, and was headed home at 4:00 A.M. when he stopped on the Virginia Beach Norfolk Expressway I-264 to help at an accident scene. A Honda Civic had struck the rear of a taxi cab. The driver of the Honda had been thrown into the windshield and was seriously injured. The taxi cab, driven by a 74 year old man, was smashed into a concrete guardrail.
Officer Starr had crossed over the westbound lanes and jumped the concrete median to reach the accident. A Ford Escort, being driven by a 19 year old, swerved around the crashed Honda Civic, struck Officer Starr and knocked him over 100 feet. The Escort then hit the taxi cab which then struck Annette Joy Compton, a citizen who had stopped her pickup truck to offer aid to the accident victims. Officer Starr and Annette Joy Compton were killed instantly.
Officer Starr was 24 years old and married when he was killed. He was a U.S. Navy Petty Officer assigned to a helicopter squadron stationed at Norfolk Naval Base. He graduated from the Virginia Beach Police Academy in 1991.
"It does not matter if the cobblers and masons fail to do their jobs well, but if the guardians fail, the democracy will crumble." , -Plato
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Police Officer Rodney F. Pocceschi , Virginia Beach Police Department , EOW: June 23, 2003 . On Monday, June 23, 2003 at 3:24 a.m., Officer Rodney F. Pocceschi, 33, conducted a traffic stop involving a vehicle occupied by a male driver and a male passenger. The traffic stop for speeding was conducted on Dam Neck Road between Harpers Road and London Bridge Road.
During the traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle exited his vehicle with a handgun. There was an exchange of gunfire between the driver and the officer that resulted in both being fatally wounded. Unknown to Officer Pocceschi, a robbery had occurred just minutes prior at a nearby restaurant. The vehicle's passenger was arrested and charged in relation to the robbery. The suspect who shot Officer Pocceschi was involved in the robbery, was a six time convicted felon and was wanted for assaulting another police officer.
Officer Pocceschi was transported to the Trauma Center at Virginia Beach General Hospital where he died of multiple gunshot wounds at 4:05 a.m.
Officer Pocceschi, a Pennsylvania native, joined the Virginia Beach Police Department on August 2, 1999. He was survived by his wife and 9 month old son.
The Virginia Beach Police Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to assist families of fallen VBPD officers and the Virginia Beach Police Department, as well as maintain this memorial. Please visit www.vbpf.org to learn more about the Foundation and how you can ensure our success.
Detective Michael Smith Phillips , Virginia Beach Police Department , EOW: August 7, 2008 . Detective Michael Phillips was shot and killed while conducting an undercover buy - bust narcotics operation on August 7, 2008.
While Detective Phillips spoke with one suspect, a second suspect approached and shot Detective Phillips multiple times without warning. A team of support officers were able to quickly arrest both suspects. Detective Phillips died on the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
Both men were charged with murder. One of the subjects pleaded guilty to murder in December 2010 and was sentenced to life in prison. The second suspect was convinced of murder in October 2011 and subsequently sentenced to 68 years in prison.
Detective Phillips had served with the Virginia Beach Police Department for six years and had previously served with the Hampton Police Department for three years and with the United States Air Force during Desert Storm. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
"Only a life lived for others, is a life worthwhile." , -Albert Einstein
The Virginia Beach Police Foundation, with the generous support of many individuals groups and corporations caused this memorial to be erected to honor the memory of those law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty while serving the citizens and visitors of the City of Virginia Beach. They will never be forgotten.
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week are observances in the United States that pay tribute to those local, state, and Federal peace officers who have died in the line of duty. Peace Officers Memorial Day is May 15, and Police Week is the calendar week in which this date falls.
Special Constable Malachi J. Beasley
Princess Anne County
EOW: September 24, 1898
On Saturday, September 24, 1898, Special Constable Beasley was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man wanted for stealing a handgun earlier in the day. The victim of the theft made a complaint to the local justice of the peace, who swore in Mr. Beasley as a Special Constable in order to arrest the suspect. Special Constable Besley located the suspect on North Landing Road, about one mile from Princess Anne County Courthouse. When the Constable informed the suspect that he was under
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arrest, the man immediately pulled out the stolen pistol and opened fire, striking Constable Beasley in the neck and head, killing him.
The suspect fled the scene but was later arrested by a posse. On October 3, 1898, a Grand Jury recommended his case be tried, and on December 6, 1898, he was sentenced to death by hanging. Special Constable Beasley had only been sworn in hours before he was murdered. His wife and three children survived him.
Officer Charles E. Porteus
Princess Anne County Police Department
EOW: June 16, 1952
Officer Porteus was 29 years old with a wife and three children when he was killed during a traffic stop. He had stopped a Navy Chief Petty Officer, Richard Montgomery age 41, on Atlantic Avenue near 81st street at 3:45pm, on June 1, 1952 and was talking with him by his automobile. Another vehicle crushed into both Officer Porteus and Petty Officer Montgomery. Petty Officer Montgomery died instantly at the scene of the accident. Officer Porteus suffered a fractured skull, a fractured leg and internal injuries. Officer Porteus died as a result of his injuries, June 16, 1952 at Virginia Beach General Hospital.
A Fort Bragg, North Carolina Army Major, Vernon Mergler, witnessed the accident and followed the suspect for three blocks before bringing him back to the accident scene. The suspect
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2021
2. Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial
was charged with Involuntary Homicide by the military police. He was charged with Hit & Run and manslaughter by the State police.
Officer Porteus was a veteran of World War II. He served in North Africa and the Naples, Anzio, Rome and Foggia campaigns in Italy during the war. He held the Purple Heart and the European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon.
"Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently."
-Maya Angelou
"Police Officers take risks and secure the safety of fellow citizens, and they endure such risks and tolerate such inconveniences on behalf of strangers. Consequently, police work is one of the more noble and selfless occupations in society. Making a difference in the quality of life is an opportunity that policing provides, and few other professions can offer."
-International Association of Chiefs of Police
Special Officer Allen Gimbert
Princess Anne County Police Department
EOW: May 3, 1923
In May of 1923, prohibition was in full force in Princess Anne County. Allen Gimbert formed a group of concerned citizens and members of the London Bridge Baptist Church who were committed to stopping the bootletting problem. This group was known
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2021
3. Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial
as the "Law and Order League," but most people referred to the group as the Purity Squad. In 1919, Allen Bimbert received the title of Special Officer from the Princess Anne County circuit court judge.
Special Officer Allen Gimbert risked his life to arrest and bring to justice moonshiners and bootleggers. He and his men were charged with finding and destroying illegal stills and arresting their operators. On May 3, 1923, Special Officer Allen Gimbert went on his last raid. He confronted a bootlegger, who drew a rifle and fatally shot Gimbert. Members of the Purity Squad returned fire, injuring the suspect. A five-day manhunt led to his capture. He was sentenced to a twenty-year prison term. Special Officer Gimbert was 44 years old, and was survived by his wife and four children.
Detective Robert R. Monette and Officer Roger L. McClung
Virginia Beach Police Department
EOW: December 19, 1968
Officer McClung and Detective Monette were dive team trainees on an exercise in Lake Wesley on Thursday, December 19, 1968. At about 3:00 P.M. both drowned after helping to save another trainee who was in trouble.
Detective Monette was a Vietnam War veteran and had served Virginia Beach Police Department for two years. He was survived by his wife, 6-month-old daughter, and 2-year-old son.
Officer McClung was 32 years
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2021
4. Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial
old and native of Roanoke, Virginia. He was a former member of the Norfolk Police Division, and had spent most of his life in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach area. He had joined the Virginia Beach Police Department on May 15, 1967.
Officer St. Elmo C. Trower
Princess Anne County Police Department
EOW: July 12, 1923
Officer Trower was 42 years old when he was killed, and had been a police officer with the Princess Anne County police force for about a year. He was pursuing a speeding motorist on Virginia Boulevard with his motorcycle when a butty pulled in front of him from a side street. Officer Trower struck his head on the pavement after being thrown from the motorcycle when it crashed with the buggy.
The accident occurred shortly before 8:00 P.M. on a Wednesday night. Officer Trower died at 1:30 A.M. Thursday, July 12, 1923 at Saint Vincent's Hospital.
"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
-Calvin Coolidge
"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends out a tiny ripple of hope."
-Robert F. Kennedy
Sergeant Frederick Dale Greene
U.S. Army Military Police Corps
EOW:
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2021
5. Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial
December 6, 1975
Sergeant Greene, U.S. Army Military Police Corps, succumbed to a gunshot wound received five years earlier while he and his partner investigated a burglary at the service station on Ft. Story, in Virginia Beach. The two officers were driving past the service station, located at Atlantic Avenue and 12th Street, at approximately 3:45 am, March 2, 1970 when they observed suspicious activity. As they approached the building two suspects came running out and opened fire, striking Sergeant Greene in the head and wounding his partner.
Sergeant Greene was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to the Salisbury, North Carolina, Veterans Affairs Hospital. He remained unconscious and in a respirator until his death on December 6, 1975. The two suspects fled the scene and the case remains unsolved.
Sergeant Greene was a Vietnam War veteran and had returned from combat only four months before the incident. He was assigned to the 222nd Military Police Department. He had been in the military for one year.
He was survived by his parents, four brothers, and three sisters.
Special Police Officer Hezekiah Little, Jr.
Princess Anne County, P.D.
EOW: August 2, 1953
Special Police Officer Hezekiah Little was accidentally shot and killed by another officer as they were attempting to
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 17, 2021
6. Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial
arrest along the Seaview Beach Amusement Park boardwalk on Sunday, August 2, 1953.
The suspect began to struggle with Officer Little and disarmed him. As the two continued to struggle the other officer fired two shots at the soldier, but struck Officer Little in the head, killing him. The suspect was arrested and charged with malicious assault and the officer who shot Officer Little was charged with manslaughter. Charges against the subject and the other officer were eventually dropped.
Officer Little had been appointed a special police officer for Princess Anne County to serve Seaview Beach only five weeks earlier, Seaview Beach Amusement Park and Beach was near Shore Drive and Great Neck Road, and closed when segregation ended.
He was survived by his wife, daughter and two sons, his parents, and 10 siblings.
"The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being the only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence."
-Sir Robert Peel
Detective Jimmy Wayne Mobley and Officer William Douglas Black
Virginia Beach Police Department
EOW: July 11, 1979
Officers Black and Mobley were operating a Virginia Beach Police
Helicopter when it crashed in the Atlantic Ocean south of Rudee Inlet at 11:27 P.M. July 11, 1979. They had been dispatched to locate a disabled boat. Officers Black and Mobley located the disabled boat anchored about a quarter mile off shore and were guiding another boat to it with the police helicopter spotlight when the crash occurred.
Officer Black was 28 years old and a native of Montreal Canada. He had obtained his United States Citizenship in 1973, and had joined the virginia Beach Police Department on August 1, 1973.
Detective Mobley was 36 years old and a native of Columbus, Georgia. He had a wife, a daughter, and a son when he died. He had joined the Virginia Beach Police Department on December 19, 1967. In 1977 he was selected Police Officer of the Year by the Virginia Beach Jaycees. He had also received a third place award from the Virginia State Jaycees as an Outstanding Young Law Enforcement Officer from Virginia that same year.
One of the greatest rewards of my career was the Virginia Beach Police Foundation asking me to design and produce this monument. It honors women and men who have fallen in the line of duty. However, the inspiration was developed over months of meetings and discussions with the dedicated members of The Foundation. Thus, it is a shared vision: Our Officers support each other in order to support our Community. Without the daily attention and support of these singularly dedicated men and women, all of us would fall.
Paul DiPasquale, sculptor
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Deputy Sheriff William Henry Tiedeman Jr.
Virginia Beach Police Department
EOW: November 7, 2006
Deputy Tiedeman suffered a fatal heart attack while participating in a defense tactics training at the Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Training Academy. Another deputy immediately began CPR and administered an automated external defibrillator while the rescue squads were en route. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Deputy Tiedeman had served with the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office for 12 years. He also served in the U.S. Navy for over 23 years retiring as a Senior Chief. He is survived by his wife, son (who is also a deputy with the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office), grandson, brother, and sister.
Police Officer Daniel T. Maloney
Virginia Beach Police Department
EOW: December 27, 1981
At 12:30 A.M., Sunday December 27, 1981, a woman called police to report that a man had assaulted and tried to rape her. As Communication Officers were preparing to broadcast this information to all units, Officer Maloney reported a suspicious vehicle. He tried to stop the vehicle but it sped off into a dead end on Challedon Drive. After the car stopped, the driver jumped out, and ran back to Officer Maloney's police vehicle firing through the driver's door window with a handgun.
Officer Maloney radioed for help reporting he had been shot. Several officers reached Officer Maloney within minutes and he was able to give a full description of the suspect vehicle and the driver who was now linked to the earlier assault and attempted rape.
Another officer observed the suspect vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. The driver jumped out and fired a shot at the officer, striking the windshield of his police vehicle. The officer returned fire, striking and killing the suspect. It was not until fingerprints were verified that it was learned that the suspect was an escaped felon who had been using his deceased nephew's identity.
Officer Maloney was 25 years old when he was killed. He had a wife who was 13 weeks pregnant with their first child. Officer Maloney held Associates and Bachelor's degrees and was working towards his Master's in Police Administration. He had joined the Virginia Beach Police Department in September, 1978.
Officer Maloney was the first City of Virginia Police officer to be shot and killed in the line of duty.
In valor there is hope
-Tacitus
Auxiliary Officer George Wayne Starr
Virginia Beach Police Department
EOW August 31, 1991
Officer STarr had completed his volunteered shift at the oceanfront, and was headed home at 4:00 A.M. when he stopped on the Virginia Beach Norfolk Expressway I-264 to help at an accident scene. A Honda Civic had struck the rear of a taxi cab. The driver of the Honda had been thrown into the windshield and was seriously injured. The taxi cab, driven by a 74 year old man, was smashed into a concrete guardrail.
Officer Starr had crossed over the westbound lanes and jumped the concrete median to reach the accident. A Ford Escort, being driven by a 19 year old, swerved around the crashed Honda Civic, struck Officer Starr and knocked him over 100 feet. The Escort then hit the taxi cab which then struck Annette Joy Compton, a citizen who had stopped her pickup truck to offer aid to the accident victims. Officer Starr and Annette Joy Compton were killed instantly.
Officer Starr was 24 years old and married when he was killed. He was a U.S. Navy Petty Officer assigned to a helicopter squadron stationed at Norfolk Naval Base. He graduated from the Virginia Beach Police Academy in 1991.
"It does not matter if the cobblers and masons fail to do their jobs well, but if the guardians fail, the democracy will crumble."
-Plato
Police Officer Rodney F. Pocceschi
Virginia Beach Police Department
EOW: June 23, 2003
On Monday, June 23, 2003 at 3:24 a.m., Officer Rodney F. Pocceschi, 33, conducted a traffic stop involving a vehicle occupied by a male driver and a male passenger. The traffic stop for speeding was conducted on Dam Neck Road between Harpers Road and London Bridge Road.
During the traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle exited his vehicle with a handgun. There was an exchange of gunfire between the driver and the officer that resulted in both being fatally wounded. Unknown to Officer Pocceschi, a robbery had occurred just minutes prior at a nearby restaurant. The vehicle's passenger was arrested and charged in relation to the robbery. The suspect who shot Officer Pocceschi was involved in the robbery, was a six time convicted felon and was wanted for assaulting another police officer.
Officer Pocceschi was transported to the Trauma Center at Virginia Beach General Hospital where he died of multiple gunshot wounds at 4:05 a.m.
Officer Pocceschi, a Pennsylvania native, joined the Virginia Beach Police Department on August 2, 1999. He was survived by his wife and 9 month old son.
The Virginia Beach Police Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to assist families of fallen VBPD officers and the Virginia Beach Police Department, as well as maintain this memorial. Please visit www.vbpf.org to learn more about the Foundation and how you can ensure our success.
Detective Michael Smith Phillips
Virginia Beach Police Department
EOW: August 7, 2008
Detective Michael Phillips was shot and killed while conducting an undercover buy - bust narcotics operation on August 7, 2008.
While Detective Phillips spoke with one suspect, a second suspect approached and shot Detective Phillips multiple times without warning. A team of support officers were able to quickly arrest both suspects. Detective Phillips died on the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
Both men were charged with murder. One of the subjects pleaded guilty to murder in December 2010 and was sentenced to life in prison. The second suspect was convinced of murder in October 2011 and subsequently sentenced to 68 years in prison.
Detective Phillips had served with the Virginia Beach Police Department for six years and had previously served with the Hampton Police Department for three years and with the United States Air Force during Desert Storm. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
"Only a life lived for others, is a life worthwhile."
-Albert Einstein
Location. 36° 51.801′ N, 75° 58.711′ W. Marker is in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is in North Virginia Beach. Memorial is at the intersection of 35th Street and Virginia Beach Boardwalk, in the median on 35th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 35th St, Virginia Beach VA 23451, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 20, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 345 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 20, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
