Roll of Honor
Deriek W. Crouse
Incident
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 pm.
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. The suspect fled on foot to a nearby location on campus and changed clothes. He was located in the university's I-Lot approximately 45 minutes after the shooting and committed suicide as a Montgomery County sheriff's deputy attempted to contact him.
Officer Crouse was a U.S. Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and had served with the Virginia Tech Police Department for four years. He had previously served with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the New River Valley Regional Jail.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, five children, mother, and brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-23BA2114- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer I Crouse gave the Virginia Tech Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Blacksburg community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Deriek W. Crouse served in the Army (1993â1996) before joining law enforcement.
Police Officer I Deriek W. Crouse is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In VA, 395 of 654 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Virginia Tech Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Deriek W. Crouse's cause is highlighted.
How Deriek W. Crouse Compares
Offender Outcome
Committed suicide
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Deriek W. Crouse is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Deriek W. Crouse was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Virginia Tech Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
