Hero Officer Killed in Virginia Originally from Upstate New York

A relatively routine traffic stop turned deadly, and two young Virginia police officers lost their lives. Sadly, one of the officers had ties to Upstate New York, graduating from high school in Rochester.

Two Heroes Lost Lives

Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate held a press conference over the weekend informing the public about the loss of two heroes who were gunned down after a traffic stop on Friday evening.

In the weekend press conference, Neudigate said Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese were "two heroes that went to work last night and didn’t make it home, two heroes that paid the ultimate price."

According to sources, Cameron Girvin has been with the police department since 2020 and Reese since 2022.

Cameron Girvin, 25, lost his life in the line of duty over the weekend. Photo: Virginia Beach Police Department

What Happened on Friday Night

According to the Virginia Beach Police Department, police officers saw a blue Hyundai Sonata with an expired plate. Shortly before 11:30 p.m., they tried to conduct a traffic stop on South Rosemont Road, and that's when things turned violent.

Neudigate told reporters that the officers followed the car to a dead end. When they approached the vehicle, the driver became "immediately argumentative," Neudigate said, refusing to get out.

Shoots Officers then "Calmly Walks Away"

The shooter, according to sources, was identified as 42-year-old John McCoy III. When he finally exited the car, the report alleges that "he pulled out a gun and shot both of the officers twice before calmly walking away."

"While on the ground, defenseless, he shot them each a second time," Neudigate said.

Police said McCoy was later found in a shed near where he lived with a self-inflicted gunshot wound that appeared to have taken his life.

Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese were "two heroes that went to work and didn’t make it home, two heroes that paid the ultimate price." Photo: Virginia Beach Police Department

Girvin Graduated High School in Upstate New York

The loss of Girvin, who was only 25 years old, has shattered family members, loved ones, and the Upstate New York community where he was from.

According to WHAM, Girvin, a 2017 Gates Chili High School graduate in Rochester, had recently married his sweetheart; she is pregnant with their first child.

"Oh, he was so excited," said Art Girvin, Cameron's father. "He couldn't wait."

Go Fund Me for Girvin

A GoFundMe has been set up to assist the Girvin family in this time of need, and at the time we published this article, it had over 60K in donations.

A family friend wrote:

"His wife now not only has to navigate this unfortunate new chapter but will also have to learn how to be a new parent without the love of her life. We ask that you please consider donating so that she can continue navigating forward without having to worry about any financial burden."

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Gallery Credit: Michael Karolyi