Virginina Beach Police Officer
Rodney Pocceschi
Memorial Page

Our Fallen Hero!!!
End of Watch
June 23, 2003

Official VBPD Memorial Website
Officer Down Memorial Page
News Release
Information Brief  Funeral Arrangements
Information Brief  City Council Resolution
Information Brief   Newport News Fund Raiser
Fund Raisers
Challenge Coin
T-Shirt
Murphy's Pub
Poker Run   *UPDATE*
Stickers
 Golf Tournament
Restaurant Fund Raisers
Pictures
Officer Pocceschi's Pennsylvania memorial service will be on July 2nd.  
Badges are to be draped until midnight on the 2nd.
Flags should be returned to full staff on the 3rd.




NEWS RELEASE
Virginia Beach Police Department
Municipal Center
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
   
                           VIRGINIA BEACH POLICE OFFICER
                                      KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY

6/23/2003        2003-086

On Monday, June 23, 2003 at 3:20 a.m., Virginia Beach Emergency Communications received a call from the IHOP Restaurant located at 1540 General Booth Blvd., advising a masked gunman had robbed them.

The manager and two employees were robbed at gunpoint.  Although the restaurant was open for business, there were no customers in the restaurant at the time of the robbery.

The victim manager did not observe a getaway vehicle, therefore a vehicle description was not provided.   

At 3:24 a.m., Officer Rodney F. Pocceschi, 33, a member of the Department's Special Operation's Selective Enforcement Unit, conducted a traffic stop involving an older model Ford Explorer occupied by a male driver and a male passenger.  The traffic stop for speeding was conducted on Dam Neck Road between Harpers Road and London Bridge Road.

During the traffic stop, the driver of the Ford Explorer exited his vehicle and produced a handgun.  There was an exchange of gunfire between the driver and the victim Officer that resulted in both being wounded.

A 16-year-old Virginia Beach teen on his way home from fishing, observed the Officer lying in the roadway.  The teenager stopped and rendered aid to the Officer.  He then flagged down a passing K-9 Officer, who was enroute to the robbery scene.  The K-9 officer and a second Officer administered CPR to the victim Officer.  The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.  Officer Pocceschi was transported to the Trauma Center at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital where he died of multiple gunshot wounds at 4:05 a.m.

Officer Pocceschi, a Pennsylvania native, joined the Virginia Beach Police Department on August 2, 1999.  His wife Maria and his 9-month-old son, Carson, survive him.

A Memorial Fund has been established for the Pocceschi family with the Virginia Beach Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union.  Donations may be made payable to Maria Pocceschi and mailed to the following locations:

VBMEFCU    
2501 Courthouse Drive   
Virginia Beach, VA 23456  

VBMEFCU
4164 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Funeral arrangements for Officer Pocceschi are pending.   

The passenger in the vehicle and an employee of the IHOP have been arrested.  The passenger, Shawn Anthony Zhe, 21, of the 900 block of Maximus Sq., Virginia Beach and the employee, Christina Marie Tatem, 18, of the 3900 block of Silina Drive, also of Virginia Beach have been charged with Robbery, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, and the Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.  They are both being held without bond in the Virginia Beach Correctional Center.

The driver of the suspect vehicle has been identified as Lekeith Devon Speller, 21, of the 600 block of Governors Way, Virginia Beach.  Speller was a six time convicted felon, with an extensive criminal background, that included violent crimes.  At the time of his death he was wanted for burglary, grand larceny, a capias for violation of probation, and a capias for failure to appear on a felony assault on a Virginia Beach Police Officer.

The case remains under investigation by members of the Department's Homicide Squad with Sgt. John Orr as the lead investigator.

MPO Mike Carey
Media Relations Officer/Spokesperson
(757) 427-4097
(757) 430-6378 (Fax)




Fund Raisers

Some people may ask why a fund raiser is needed for an officer when there are insurance policies in place.  Well, it will be many long months before any of those policies are of any benefit.  Rodney has a wonderful wife and a nine-month old baby that will need all the support they can get from the community.
They still have to survive the day-to-day expenses of living.  

Any help at all will be greatly appreciated by the V.B.P.D. family.





Challenge Coin to Benefit
Rodney Pocceschi's Family

Click to View Information Flyer...
Click on image
to view flyer.
Or visit their website at
Challenge Coin USA




Memorial T-Shirt


T-shirts in Honor and Memory of Officer Rod Pocceschi have been printed and are now available.

Click on Picture
for larger image.





The Police Unity Tour will be managing the sale of these T-shirts and will make them available to Uniform & Supply.  Shirts may be ordered by contacting the Police Unity Tour at 757-430-2918 (FAX same number) or via email: info@policeunitytour.org
They can be ordered online at the Police Unity Tour website.

We are asking for a $15.00 donation for the T-shirt. All proceeds will be used to purchase U. S. Savings Bonds for Carson Pocceschi.



Murphy's Irish Pub
Fund Raiser


Thank you to everyone who came and showed support for our fallen brother.
Please continue to show your support.

    

Restaurant Fund Raiser

Virginia Beach restaurants and the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association are conducting a "Night Out" fund raiser on Monday July 14th for Maria and Carson Pocceschi.  The organizers have been asking restaurants to pledge 10% of their receipts on that day to the memorial fund set up in Maria Pocceschi's name.  Restaurants interested in participating are being asked to contact Dave Browning at the Imperial Palace, 493-8838.  The event
is open to and being held by both member and non-member restaurants.  To date, the following restaurants have pledged and are encouraging the community to come out on that night to support this worthy cause: 

Abbey Road

Aberdeen Barn

Alexis *(usually closed on Mondays,
will be open on that Monday just for this event)

Atlas Bar & Grill (General Booth)

Atlas Bar & Grill (Great Neck)

Azar's Natural Food

Black Angus

Blue Crab (Pretty Lake Ave in Norfolk)

Chesapeake Bagel (Pembroke location only)

Chicho's Pizza

Chick's Beach Café

Cobalt Grille

Coyote Café

Crazy Charlies

Duck-Inn

Frankie's Ribs (Fairfield)

Frankie's Ribs (Laskin Road)

Giovanni's Pizza & Pasta

Golden Corral (Kempsville)

Golden Corral (S. Independence)

Guadalajara (Hilltop)

Hot Tuna

Il Giardino

The Imperial Palace

Keifer's

Lago Mar Pizza

Live

Lulu's Classic Diner

Lynnhaven Fishhouse

Mom's Kitchen

Nara Sushi

Nat's Sports Bar

Otani Japanese Steakhouse

Peabody's

Primo Pizza (Diamond Springs Road)

Primo Pizza (Kempsville)

Scandals

Smokehouse & Cooler

Tautags

Uncle Al's Famous
(Cypress Point location only)

Waterman's

Y Not Pizza (Great Neck)

Y Not Pizza (Fairfield)

Tom's Ice Cream
(mobile ice cream trucks) 

In addition, the following restaurants have pledged a fixed dollar amount in lieu of the 10% pledge: 

Captain George's Seafood

Gus' Mariner

Lighthouse

Pizza Delight

Rudee's on the Inlet

The 219 (Norfolk)

In addition, Brother's Printing is donating the promotional posters for participating restaurants. 

Dozens of other restaurants have been contacted, and expressed interest but are pending owner or corporate approval.  The list will be updated as the pledges come in.  All participating restaurants will be listed that evening on the VBRA website:  VBRA.com 

Obviously the more promotion the event gets, the more successful it will be.  I really appreciate your assistance in this regard. 

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me at my restaurant, 493-8838. 

Dave Browning, The Imperial Palace

 



Poker Run Information has been received.
I have scanned the poker run flyer and the
information can be found at the link below.

Memorial Poker Run



INFORMATION BRIEF

Virginia Beach Police Department
Media Relations Office
427-4097
   
                     FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
                    FOR
                     OFFICER RODNEY F. POCCESCHI
2003-022    June 25, 2003

On Monday, June 23, 2003 at 4:05 a.m., Virginia Beach Police Officer Rodney F. Pocceschi, 33, died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during a shootout with an armed man following a traffic stop on Dam Neck Road.  


Funeral arrangements for Officer Pocceschi are as follows:

VIEWING:                         Sunday, June 29, 2003 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
                                                                               6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
                                           Kellum Funeral Home, Rosewood Chapel
                                           601 North Witchduck Road, Virginia Beach, VA
 
FUNERAL:                        "Service of Remembrance"
                                           Monday, June 30, 2003 11:30 a.m.
                                           Rock Church
                                           640 Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, VA

Out of state burial arrangements to be announced at a later date.  Memorial donations may be made payable to Maria Pocceschi at the Virginia Beach Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union, 2501 Courthouse Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23456. All Police Honor Guard Units are to be in place by 10:30 a.m.  All other officers and attendees should arrive by 11:00 a.m.  The uniform of the day for Lieutenants and above is the dress blouse with hat.  The uniform for all other personnel is the Class "A" uniform with long sleeve shirt, tie, and hat.


Questions may be directed to MPO Mike Carey or MPO Don Rimer in the Media Relations Office at (757) 427-4097.
 




OFFICER RODNEY F. POCCESCHI
MEMORIAL SERVICE
PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA
 
VIEWING:

The body will lie in state in the Church from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

MEMORIAL SERVICE:
WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2003 AT 2:00 P.M.
MEMORIAL MASS

SAINT JOHN the EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH
35 WILLIAM STREET
PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA

Monsignor Bendix and Reverend Staton presiding.
(Pittston, Pa. is between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton at I-81/U.S. 11)






Thank you to all the departments who came and paid there respects to our fallen brother.

INFORMATION BRIEF

Virginia Beach Police Department

Municipal Center  
Virginia Beach, VA 23456

     
          RODNEY POCCESCHI RESOLUTION

7/3/2003        2003-024 


The Department has been advised that on Tuesday, July 8, 2003, the Virginia Beach City Council will present a Council Resolution to

Maria Pocceschi in honor of Rodney. 

All Department members are invited to attend.  The presentation will

be at 6:00 p.m.   There is not a uniform requirement for this event. 

MPO Don Rimer

Media Relations Officer/Spokesperson

drimer@vbgov.com

(757) 427-4097

(757) 430-6378 (Fax) 






The below information has been provided by retired VBPD MPO Lou Thurston, who is the PIO for the Newport News Police Department. A fund raising event for the Officer Rodney Pocceschi Memorial Fund will be held tomorrow evening (Saturday July 5th).  Please share this information with those who do not have access to GroupWise. Thank you


    IN LIGHT OF RECENT TRAGEDY WE HAVE DECIDED THAT INSTEAD OF A FOOD DONATION TO THE HOMELESS AS ENTRY TO THE CELEBRATE FREEDOM SHOW THIS SATURDAY @ CELEBRATIONS, WE WILL TAKE DONATIONS AT THE DOOR FOR THE RODNEY POCCESCHI MEMORIAL FUND.
   
    THIS FUND WAS SET UP FOR HIS WIFE MARIA AND HIS NINE MONTH OLD SON CARSON. ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE SHOW WILL GO TO THIS FUND.

    I AM IN NEED OF A FUND ADMINISTRATOR WHO WILL COME TO THE SHOW AND SERVE AS TREASURER.

    WHAT A WAY TO GIVE TRIBUTE TO THIS SLAIN VA BEACH OFFICER.
THE SHOW BEGINS AT 9:00 PM WITH FREE BEER FROM 8:00 TO 9:00.

    AGAIN CELEBRATIONS IS LOCATED AT 9712 WARWICK BLVD
(NEXT TO ANNA'S) in Newport News.
J. R. VOBORIL
WATCH I SOUTH PRECINCT  NNPD
882-5965

 
MPO Mike Carey
Spokesman/Media Relations Officer
Virginia Beach Police Department
Office:  (757) 427-4097     Pager:  (757) 680-1223
Email: mcarey@vbgov.com
Fax:  (757) 430-6378




Memorial Stickers



Memorial stickers are currently available.  The stickers cost $5.00 each. 
All of the profits go to Maria and Carson.

Checks can be sent to the 4th PCT.  Please write your PCT on the check. 
Cash must be delivered in person at the front desk. 
Please contact officer Ted Walters at 619-2340 if you
would like to assist in selling the stickers.

The stickers go on the outside of the window.  I do not have any that go inside. 
FastSigns at 2716 Virginia Beach Blvd. deserves our appreciation. 
They are producing the stickers at 50% off.

You can make checks payable to Maria Pocceschi. 
All profits will be deposited directly into the memorial fund.

The initial cost of the stickers has been reached as of last night.

If you have anything at all to add to this site, please forward it to me.  
Click Here to e-mail me.