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2009 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 974
Commending Robert S. Bowers, Jr.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 2009
Agreed to by the Senate, February 25, 2009

 

WHEREAS, Virginia State Police Trooper Robert S. Bowers, Jr., was the recipient of the 2005 Trooper of the Year Award by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Division of State and Provincial Police, and the Governor’s Meritorious Service Medal for 2006; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Bowers was one of only four state troopers in the nation to receive such prestigious recognition; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Bowers received the Trooper of the Year Award for his courage and determination, under life-threatening conditions, to remove a dangerous criminal from the community; and

WHEREAS, just before 1:00 a.m. on July 1, 2005, Trooper Bowers attempted to stop a speeding vehicle in Hampton; the driver of the vehicle refused to stop, a pursuit was initiated, and when the suspect lost control of and left the vehicle, Trooper Bowers continued to pursue the suspect on foot; and

WHEREAS, after the pursuit had lasted nearly a half mile, the suspect drew a revolver and fired at Trooper Bowers, seriously wounding him in the upper chest and leg; Trooper Bowers returned fire, expertly subdued the suspect, and subsequently crawled to a nearby house to wake the residents, who summoned medical assistance; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Bowers graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy in July 2003, and began his career with the Virginia State Police assigned to Hampton and Newport News in Chesapeake Division 5, Area 46; and

WHEREAS, Trooper Bowers later transferred to his current patrol assignment in Chesapeake Division 5, Area 47, which includes the Cities of Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Chesapeake; and

WHEREAS, a native of Mecklenburg County, Trooper Bowers is a graduate of Park View Senior High School in South Hill; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great pride the valiant and dedicated actions of a public safety professional and native Virginian, Robert S. Bowers, Jr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Robert S. Bowers, Jr., and his family as an expression of the General Assembly’s high regard for his service to the Commonwealth and the citizens of Virginia.