One hundred years and 36 days after he was killed in the line of duty the name of Fairfax County Deputy Sheriff George A. Malcolm will be engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. It will occur during the 17th Annual Candlelight Vigil May 13, as part of National Police Week.
It was April 7, 1905 when Malcolm set out to serve a warrant on a man who had allegedly been harassing female students at Lorton Valley School where Malcolm served as the head instructor. It would be his last act.
Malcolm became the first known Fairfax County law enforcement officer to give his life in the line of duty. That fact was finally recognized April 7, with a ceremony at Pohick Church cemetery where he is buried in the Malcolm family plot.
At 24 years old, Malcolm had been a deputy sheriff for only 11 months when he swore out a warrant for an Italian immigrant, according to archive records. "During the arrest, the man pulled out a handgun and shot Deputy Malcolm five times, hitting him in the abdomen, hip, and hand," according to the research.
That was April 6, 1905. Malcolm was rushed to Emergency Hospital, Washington, D.C. On April 7 a posse of citizens went to Lorton railroad station where the suspect worked. "As they attempted to arrest him, he resisted and was shot in the head," according to reports at the time.
He was also taken to Emergency Hospital. Both Malcolm and his alleged assailant died there on April 7. Both Malcolm and his story have been buried at Mount Vernon District's Pohick Episcopal Church cemetery for the last century.
In addition to his service as a deputy sheriff and head instructor at Lorton Valley School, Malcolm served as the deputy treasurer of Mount Vernon and Lee districts. He was survived by his mother and brother.
AS PART of the May 13 ceremony, the names of officers newly engraved on the memorial will be read as part of a special remembrance. This year the name of George A. Malcolm will ring out over 100 years of time and history.
Gathered at his grave site, abutting the small historic church now nuzzled against the intersection of Route 1 and Telegraph Road, were a cadre of politicians, representatives of the Fairfax Deputy Sheriff's Coalition, Local 5016, and family members. Pohick Church, 9301 Richmond Highway, is often referred to as George Washington's Church.
One of those attending the graveside ceremony was Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerald "Gerry" Hyland. "It's very interesting this ceremony came about when we [Fairfax County Board of Supervisors] are discussing the relationship between the police and the Sheriff's Department," Hyland said.
"During our budget hearings there were probably 150 representatives of the Sheriff's Department asking for parity with the Police Department," he said.
"Then to go to this ceremony, it really hit home how much parity there really is. Here was a sheriff's deputy who gave his life during his job at a time when it was a very different world," Hyland said.
Another of those attending the graveside remembrance was Ann Malcolm, a grand niece of Malcolm. "It was a very meaningful ceremony even though we hardly knew anything about him," she said.
"The challenge for us is that George died so young. By the time my grandmother married into the family, he had been dead several years. And, by the time my mother married, all the immediate relatives were dead," she said.
"There are now three surviving grand nieces and one grand nephew. We do plan to attend the ceremony on May 13 at the Police Memorial," Malcolm said.
AS AN ADDITIONAL tribute, the pipe band being formed by the Fairfax Deputy Sheriff's Coalition plans to adopt the Malcolm tartan as their official tartan, according to Christopher A. Heflin, Coalition President. "After the research turned up all this history about Malcolm, it was almost automatic for us to decide to adopt the Malcolm tartan," he said.
"We had been looking at a series of possible tartans for the pipe band to create a living history for ourselves as well as a tradition. Then this ceremony, which was unprecedented, really sealed it," Heflin said. Malcolm's story came to light as Chris Cosgriff, chairman, The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc., an internet site, was doing research on another officer's death. He came upon Malcolm's name purely by accident, according to Amy Bertsch, public information officer, Alexandria Police Department.
"Chris does a lot of work to rediscover officer deaths that results in the line of duty. They are then posted on the web page," Bertsch said.
"The ceremony at Pohick Church was really something special. Every detail was significant. He is surrounded by family although he had no immediate heirs since he died so young. It was also important for people to know that he was not forgotten," Bertsch said.
State Sen. Linda T. "Toddy" Puller (D-36) said, "The bagpipes at the ceremony really added to the atmosphere. And the fact that they are adopting the Malcolm tartan is very moving. I'm sure the family was very pleased that this honor is occurring."
PRESIDING at the ceremony was the Rev. Donald D. Binder, rector, Pohick Episcopal Church. "It was very fitting that he was buried here, in that he lived and taught in this area. At the time of his death there were only two cemeteries in this area, so many people were buried here. We are still an open cemetery," he said.
Those who open the Officer Down Web site are able to post comments. Some of those pertaining to Malcolm read:
* "Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the ceremony honoring the supreme sacrifice you made 100 years ago. Your service and sacrifice will now and forever be remembered." — Kenny Cox Fairfax County Sheriff's Office.
* "Today your sacrifice was remembered with a special ceremony. Deputies and family members honored your memory and paid tribute to your life and loss. Now, 100 years later, you will not be forgotten." — A grateful Fairfax County citizen.
* "These are senseless tragedies that never seem to stop. God Bless the men and women who continue to serve their communities and this great nation ... Gone, but never forgotten." — Marti (EMT-Paramedic) Haywood County EMS, North Carolina.