A stretch of Maryland highway has been dedicated to slain Prince George’s County police Sgt. Richard Findley, who was struck and killed by a stolen vehicle in 2008.
Maryland authorities dedicated the stretch of Route 197 (or Laurel-Bowie Road), just south of the road’s intersection with Route 198 in Laurel, this month.
Findley had often patrolled that area during his 10 years on the police force. He and his wife, Kelly Findley, also met in that area, while working together at the Beltsville Volunteer Fire Department.
The dedicated part of the highway runs from Bowie Road to Briarcroft Lane, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Findley “paid the ultimate price to ensure our safety, and we, the beneficiaries of his courage, can never fully repay him,” Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said in a statement. “I am honored to offer a small token of thanks by dedicating part of Maryland Route 197, so he can be forever remembered by a grateful state for his courage and sacrifice.”
Findley, 39, was killed while trying to arrest the occupants of a stolen pickup truck on June 27, 2008.
He and other officers tried to block the truck’s path, and the suspects rammed their patrol car with the vehicle.
Findley was struck by the stolen truck when he exited the police car.
Ronnie White, the driver of the stolen vehicle, was apprehended and died in his jail cell the day after he was arrested. Maryland’s chief medical examiner said White had been slain, but no charges were filed.
Findley was one of 138 police officers nationwide who died in the line of duty in 2008, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. So far in 2010, 107 officers — including three each in Maryland and Virginia — have been killed on duty.
