RICHMOND, Va. – The funeral for Virginia State Police Trooper Berke M.M. Bates is being held Friday in Richmond.
Trooper Berke Bates
The visitation for Bates took place Thursday at Nelson Funeral Home in Richmond. His funeral is being held Friday at Saint Paul’s Baptist Church in Richmond. The interment will be a private graveside service.
Bates and Virginia State Police Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen died August 12 after their helicopter crashed near Charlottesville while they were patrolling near the site of the white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally. Both men died at the scene.
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.
