Wreath-Laying Ceremony Monday For Fallen Raleigh Police Officer

RALEIGH, NC — A wreath-laying ceremony will be held Monday for a Raleigh police officer who died in a motorcycle crash 16 years ago while chasing a speeder along the beltline. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will take place at noon at the Raleigh Police Memorial in honor of Officer Charles Paul. The memorial is located at the Raleigh Municipal Building on West Hargett Street.

Paul graduated from East Wake High School and East Carolina University. He became a Raleigh police officer in 1995.

The 30-year-old Paul was killed in the line of duty on the morning of Sept. 10, 2002. He was a traffic officer at the time and was pursuing a speeding driver between Rock Quarry and Hammond roads when he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a guardrail, according to WRAL-TV. Police said he had been behind a tractor-trailer at the time. When he tried to pass the vehicle, he caught a draft, causing the motorcycle to swerve. He then reportedly struck pieces of a ladder and concrete near the guardrail.

The station said Paul had regularly patrolled the area near Wakefield Elementary School.

Photo credit: Raleigh Police Department