National Police Week: Remembering Virginia Officers Who Died

VIRGINIA — Two police officers in Virginia have died in the line of duty in 2021. While their names won’t be read at the National Police Officers’ Memorial Service until its Oct. 16 rescheduled date, they will be honored virtually during National Police Week from May 9-16 this year.

The coronavirus has been cited for one police officer line of duty death in Virginia in 2021, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Nationally, 63 of the 119 police deaths in 2021 as of May 4, just under 53 percent, have been due to the virus.

COVID-19 caused 234 of the 362 deaths nationwide in 2020. Before the virus, 150 active police officers died across the United States throughout 2019.

This year, two police officers in Virginia have died while on duty, including the virus-related death. They were:

• Police Officer Dominic Jared Winum, Stanley Police Department
  • Died: Feb. 26, 2021
  • Details: Police Officer Nick Winum, 48, was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop at about 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 26. An occupant of the vehicle got out and opened fire on Winum before he was able to get out of his patrol car. The person fled the scene after the shooting and was located hiding in a barn a short distance away. The man was shot and killed as he attempted to reach for a weapon as deputies and other officers attempted to take him into custody. Winum had served with the Stanley Police Department for five years.

• Sergeant Frederick H. "Butch" Cameron, Fairfax County Sheriff's Office
  • Died: Jan. 12, 2021
  • Sergeant Butch Cameron, 51, died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while on duty at the Fairfax County Judicial Center.

After the coronavirus, shootings have caused the most police line of duty deaths nationally, as “gunfire” was cited by the Officer Down Memorial Page in 19. Nine police officers died by “vehicular assault,” seven in car crashes and six were fatally hit by a car.

President John F. Kennedy in 1962 designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week as Police Week. The Memorial Service began 20 years later with about 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement gathering in Senate Park, according to the event’s website.

Since then, before the pandemic it had grown to attract up to 40,000 attendees every year.

The National Police Week schedule features a series of events, including seminars and a candlelight vigil. Due to the coronavirus, the candlelight vigil has been put off to Oct. 14, and the national police survivors conference to Oct. 15.