Published: May 09, 2008 09:04 pm            

Community bids farewell to devoted police officer

BLUEFIELD, Va. — A community without boundaries paused Friday to pay its last respects to a law enforcement officer who made a huge impact on the community he served during his 12 years of service with the Bluefield, Va., Police Department.

The funeral procession for Sgt. James H. Altizer of Bluefield, Va., stretched for several miles across the two Virginias as approximately 100 uniformed officers of the Bluefield, Va., Police Department, Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, Bluefield Police Department, Tazewell Police Department, Virginia State Police, McDowell Sheriff’s Department, West Virginia State Police, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, Cedar Bluff Police Department and more participated in the procession.

Fire and rescue emergency responders from throughout the region drove in front and in back of Dudley Funeral Home vehicles as Altizer’s family and friends joined the law enforcement officers to form a line of vehicles that stretched almost from Bluefield City Auditorium to Grandview Memory Gardens on the Bluefield-Tazewell Road.

Uniformed officers were stationed at each intersection, saluting each passing vehicle in the procession along the four-mile route. A group of a dozen or more police cruisers were stationed near the cemetery entrance, each with a uniformed officer standing in front, saluting the procession.

Inside the mausoleum, Bluefield, Va., Police Chief Harry Cundiff gave a scripture reading from Second Corinthians. A bag-piper with the Virginia State Police played “Amazing Grace,” and a Virginia State Police honor guard folded the American flag that covered the officer’s remains and presented it to his wife Tanya Altizer, and daughter.

Prior to the committal service, Cundiff said a prayer, gave a scripture reading and shared some thoughts about Altizer. He said Altizer’s badge number was 205, and struggled to read a poem incorporating Altizer’s shield number with the Ten Code signal, 1042, which means “end of duty.”

Rev. Danny Scott shared stories about meeting “Jimmy” Altizer in 1981 when the young man, then 11 years old, was growing up in McDowell County.

Scott said that Altizer was very particular about his appearance and made sure his shoes were always shined. Scott said that now, as a resident of Bluefield, Va., he (Scott) always felt safe at night, knowing Sgt. Altizer’s shift started at midnight.

The only live music during the service was provided by Altizer’s daughter Courtney, who walked to the front of the 250 people gathered for the service and sang a song a capella, in memory of her father.

“What a courageous young lady,” Scott said, and asked those attending the service to give her a round of applause. Altizer was 37 when he passed away Tuesday due to a “short medical illness,” according to Altizer’s colleague on the police force, Lt. Pete Beavers.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

        

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