RICHMOND, Va. – Funeral arrangements for Virginia State Police Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates were finalized Tuesday.
Cullen and Bates died after their helicopter crashednear Charlottesville while they were patrolling near the site of the white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally. Both men died at the scene.
The visitation for Bates will take place Thursday from 1-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at the Nelson Funeral Home at 4650 South Laburnum Ave. in Richmond. The funeral is set for Friday at 11 a.m. at Saint Paul’s Baptist Church at 4247 Creighton Rd. in Richmond. The interment will be a private graveside service.
The visitation for Cullen will be Friday from 5-8 p.m. at Bennett Funeral Home at 14301 Ashbrook Pkwy. in Chesterfield, Virginia. The funeral is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Southside Church of the Nazarene at 6851 Courthouse Rd. in Chesterfield. The interment will also be a private graveside service.
For anyone wishing to support the Cullen and/or Bates families financially, donations are being accepted through the Virginia State Police Association Emergency Relief Fund (VSPA-ERF) at www.vspa.org. Donations may be made by a check made payable to VSPA-ERF with “Jay Cullen” and/or “Berke Bates” in the memo.
Donations can also be made through PayPal by visiting http://vspa.org/initiatives/emergency-relief-fund. When donating through PayPal, note that the donation is for “Lt. Cullen and/or Tpr. Bates” in the comment section. Checks can be mailed to the VSPA ERF at 6944 Forest Hill Ave., Richmond Va. 23225.
All donations to the VSPA-ERF are tax deductible, and 100% of the donations go to the families of the victims. For any additional questions, please contact the VSPA at (804) 320-6272.
