Slain Trooper Funeral: More Than 3,000 Pay Respects

Col. W. Steven Flaherty speaks at funeral of Virginia State Trooper Chad P. Dermyer Tuesday at Baptist Liberty Church in Hampton, Va. POOL PHOTOS by Steve Helber, Associated Press (click on photos to enlarge)

_____________________

More than 3,000 mourners gathered Tuesday to pay their respects to Virginia State Trooper Chad P. Dermyer, who died after he suffered multiple gunshots during a training exercise Thursday at the Richmond Greyhound bus station, according to police.

Virginia State Police identified the gunman in the fatal shooting as James Brown III of Aurora, Ill. Dermyer and the gunman died Thursday at VCU Medical Center.

• Virginia Trooper Shooting: No Motive For Killing In Richmond Greyhound Station
• Virginia Trooper Fatally Shot at Greyhound Station Grew Up In Michigan
• Illinois Man Who Shot Virginia Trooper Wanted to Be 'Infamous'
• Man Who Shot Trooper Had 143 Rounds of Ammo in Bags

“He had an incredible personality,” state police Col. W. Steven Flaherty said at the funeral, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. “People were drawn to him. He proved every day, on duty and off duty, that he was a true professional.”

The service for Dermyer, who left behind a widow, Michelle, and two children, Page, 11 and Phillip, 14, was held Tuesday at Baptist Liberty Church in the City of Hampton. The majority of those in attendance were law enforcement, with 250 motorcycle and 23 other state police and highway patrol agencies from across the country including California, Utah, Florida and Maine. Police from the Aurora, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department and the New York Police Department were also in attendance, according to Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe met privately with the Dermyer family before the funeral, presenting his wife with the Virginia flag and his father the U.S. flag that flew over the state Capitol the day Dermyer died.

The burial took place in Gloucester County and included a 21-gun salute by the USMC.