VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — At the Oceanfront near 35th Street, figures symbolizing the Virginia Beach Police Department, the Sheriff's Department, and various state and federal agencies stand side by side at the Law Enforcement Monument. They hold hands, reflecting a commitment to mutual support, and each has a hand outstretched towards the citizens below.
Nearby, the names of fallen officers serve as a somber reminder of the dangers law enforcement may face. Two names, Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese, will soon be added to the memorial after a deadly traffic stop last Friday.
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Retired Norfolk police officer Rick James was one of many devastated to learn of the latest line-of-duty deaths.
"The first thing was you get this feeling in the pit of your stomach," he said. "I would like [the Virginia Beach Police Department and the families] to know we feel their pain and we're there with them."
James noted that data shows traffic stops are particularly dangerous for officers and are widely considered more dangerous than calls for service.
"Here’s what the officer doesn’t know: the officer doesn’t know if the person that’s speeding is late to pick up their children or if they just robbed a bank or killed somebody," said James. "Police officers want to make sure they don't overreact and they want to make sure that citizens feel safe and be approachable. And of course, they don't want to over escalate things. They always want to try to deescalate things. The problem with traffic stops is that things happen very, very quickly. It can go from a calm situation to a very deadly situation in a matter of seconds."
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"What kinds of things are officers trained in in regards to traffic stops?" asked News 3 reporter Erika Craven.
"It can be something as simple as how you park your vehicle, making sure that you know as much about the driver before you approach the vehicle through running the tags..." explained James.
He emphasized that police are extensively trained to balance de-escalation techniques with personal safety. Typically following a line-of-duty death, officers undergo additional training to prevent it from happening again, he said.
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"Sometimes there are rules we use to make sure you're safe and sometimes there are tools you use to make sure you're safe. Whether it's better vests or better tactics," James said. "So if you see a police officer taking certain steps as they approach the vehicle and trying to maintain a safe environment for the driver and for the officer, just understand that the officers only doing what they're trained to do to make sure the citizens safe, the officer is safe. And once the traffic stop is over, then everybody can go on their day."
The last police officer shot and killed in the line of duty in Virginia Beach was Detective Michael Smith Phillips in August 2008. He was working undercover on a drug case at the time. Two men were convicted for his murder.
The last line-of-duty death during a traffic stop occurred in 2003, when Officer Rodney Pocceschi was fatally shot after stopping a vehicle suspected of speeding away from a robbery.
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With the deaths of Reese and Girvin, the total number of line-of-duty shooting deaths within the Virginia Beach Police Department totals nine, according to the department's "Honoring our Fallen Heroes" list.
Other line-of-duty deaths include drownings and crashes. The list of 16 Virginia Beach Police Department line-of-duty deaths which dates back to 1898 can be found here. Reese and Girvin's names have not yet been added to that list, but they have been added to the Officer Down Memorial page.
