VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Our local law enforcement community is mourning the loss of two of their own after Virginia Beach Police Officers Cameron Girvin, 25, and Christopher Reese, 30, were shot and killed in the line of duty Friday.
Virginia Beach
Parents of fallen VBPD Officer Girvin says he 'died doing what he loved'
"It's tough. We're hurting. We're hurting just like the community," Virginia Beach Sheriff Rocky Holcomb said in an interview with WTKR News 3.
Watch: Police community reflects on loss of two Virginia Beach Police officers
Before Christopher Reese joined the Virginia Beach Police Department, he spent three years with the city's sheriff's department. Sheriff Holcomb remembers when Reese first got into law enforcement back in 2019 after graduating from Virginia Wesleyan College.
"He was playing on one of our softball teams and the guys convinced him to put in an application to start working here," Holcomb recalled.
Watch: Remembering local police officers who died in line of duty over past 25 years
Sheriff Holcomb described Reese as an "unbelievable guy." He noted that while Reese stood out due to his talent and athleticism, his optimism and positivity had the strongest impact on the sheriff's office.
"He was just very positive about life, just very positive about the job we did. When he came in the room, most of the folks wanted to be paired up with him because of his positive attitude," Holcomb shared.
He says the law enforcement community is devastated after losing the two officers, especially since they were so young. Holcomb says Reese recently married his wife, and Girvin's parents told WTKR News 3 their son was an expecting father.
"The badge that we wear is very light. The badge only weighs about an ounce, but in situations like this, it's very heavy," Holcomb said. "We've got to weather the storm for the family and the community and do the best we can to get through it."
