Route 1 was lined with people who gathered to pay their last respects as the funeral procession for city police officer Todd Bahr passed by en route to Sunset Memorial Gardens. Bahr was a victim of what, according to Fredericksburg Police Chief David Nye, appeared to be a fatal ambush last Friday night. The shooting took place as Bahr and other city police officers responded to a domestic dispute on Cowan Boulevard. Bahr was the first city officer to lose his life in the line of duty in over 40 years.
I couldn't begin to count the law enforcement and public safety vehicle in the procession but there had to be between three and four hundred. There was even a locally organized "rolling thunder" style tribute made up of about 100 civilian cyclists, many displaying both the American flag and the well known POW/MIA banner.
As I stood across from the entrance to Sunset Memorial Gardens trying, in vain I fear, to capture the scope of the scene on camera I could see looking to the north that Route 1 was backed up and at a standstill as far as I could see and according to one deputy, probably backed up all the way into Stafford. I saw units from public safety organizations from Virginia Beach all the way north into Maryland and most localities in between including the U.S. Capital police.
All the units passed under the extended towers of the aerial trucks from the Fredericksburg and Chancellor Fire Departments. 
Your shot of the motorcycles in line is perfect; it should be in the newspaper.
Posted by: Ruth | June 12, 2008 at 04:11 PM