In Memoriam: Officer Deriek W. Crouse
Officer Deriek W. Crouse made the ultimate sacrifice on December 8, 2011. Officer Crouse, 39, of Christiansburg and formerly Galax, was killed during a traffic stop on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus. Crouse joined the Virginia Tech Police Department on Oct. 27, 2007 and served in the patrol division. He is survived by his wife, five children and step-children, and his mother, his father, and two brothers.
Officer Crouse received his law enforcement certification on Feb. 12, 2008, from the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy. He was trained as a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer, Field Training Officer, General Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor and Advance Law Enforcement Rapid Response and Mechanical and Ballistic Instructor.
Officer Crouse was a member of the Virginia Tech Police Emergency Response Team since February 2011. He received an award in 2008 for his commitment to the department’s Driving Under the Influence efforts.
Prior to the Virginia Tech Police Department, Crouse served at the New River Valley Regional Jail and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department. Crouse was also a U.S. Army veteran who served 18 months in Iraq.
On December 8, 2011, Officer Deriek Crouse was shot and killed while making a traffic stop in the parking lot of the university's Cassell Coliseum, near McComas Hall, at approximately 12:15 p.m.
At some point during the stop, a suspect unrelated to the traffic stop approached his unmarked car and shot him once in the head as he sat in his vehicle. Law enforcement from across the region responded to assist Virginia Tech Police Department and the community.
On December 12, 2011, many from across the state and country joined Officer Deriek Crouse's loved ones and the Hokie community in mourning.
In addition to loved ones and Virginia Tech community members, thousands of police officers, sheriff's deputies, and other service members came to Cassell Coliseum to honor the life of Officer Crouse.
Each year on December 8th, the Virginia Tech Police Department celebrates the life of Officer Deriek W. Crouse.
The memorial Hokie Stone, which marks the area where Crouse was killed, stands as a daily reminder of his service and sacrifice.
Those that knew and loved Deriek continue to live everyday for 152.
The Virginia Tech Police Department continues to proudly support Officer Deriek Crouse's loved ones, including his son Officer Dustin Crouse.
On June 27, 2019, Officer Dustin Crouse graduated from the New River Criminal Justice Training Academy. VTPD officers and others formerly affiliated with our agency proudly attended the ceremony to welcome our new brother in blue.
Officer Deriek W. Crouse
Virginia Tech Police Department
Badge Number: 152
End of Watch: December 8, 2011
