Honoring a Slain VT Officer, With a 220-Mile Bike Ride

When Kevin Whalen saw —a police officer was gunned down by a college student—he immediately knew he had to do something to make sure the officer’s sacrifice would not be forgotten.

Whalen, of Centreville, 49, a senior special agent for the Treasury Department, had mixed it up with bad guys in the past. But there was something especially moving about the Dec. 8 shooting death of Officer Deriek Crouse as he was making a traffic stop on the campus. After the shooting, part-time Radford University student Ross Truett Ashley, 22, committed suicide in a nearby parking lot. Crouse, 39, left behind a wife and five children.

Whalen decided he would dedicate his part in this year’s Police Unity Tour, to honor the memory of those slain while on duty, to Crouse and his family. The three-day, 220-mile ride from May 10-12 starts in Richmond, travels to Charlottesville and then through Centreville on Route 29 to RFK Stadium in Washington.

Whalen was so intent on paying tribute to the officer’s memory that he and another officer recently visited Blacksburg, met with fellow Virginia Tech Police Department officers and talked with Crouse’s wife. The meeting with the slain man’s spouse was difficult, but rewarding in that they came away with a more intimate picture of Crouse. 

“It’s not how an officer died that is important, but how they lived their life,” Whalen said. “Derick valued life, was a great guy to be around and loved motorcycles.” 

Whalen also went to the crime scene. “You get a lot closer and feel more of a connection to the officer when you visit the scene,” he said. 

The annual ride, with about 1,000 law enforcement officers participating this year, also raises money for the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington. The museum pays tribute to officers killed in the line of duty and has their names, more than 19,000 of them, inscribed on its walls. Officials recorded 163 officers killed in the line of duty last year, down slightly from previous years. 

Whalen isn’t riding alone; he has support from his family and a broad segment of the community. His son, Connor, 11, a fifth grader at , and classmates made inspiration cards for the riders last year and plan to do so again this year. 

He credits local businesses and community groups that are helping, including , , Franklins Printing in Chantilly, Pohanka Lexus, Boy Scout Troop 146 from Chantilly and . Whalen also has fundraisers set for April at Glory Days Grill-Centreville. 

Whalen hopes that all his supporters come out and cheer the riders on as they pass through Centreville. The riders plan to hit the intersection of Routes 28 and 29 at about 9:30 a.m. on May 12. 

“It’s the greatest thing to see everyone there, shouting and cheering,” Whalen said of the crowd from last year. “It was just very inspiring.”

How to help:

Online donations