Posted: 5/13/2006 9:57:17 AM EDT
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Following the funeral service, a procession will leave the church and continue to the cemetery along the following route. Police anticipate several hundred cars and motorcycles escorting the hearse from the church to a drive by of the Sully District Station and on to private burial services in Warrenton, Virginia. Members of the community wishing to pay their respects to Detective Vicky Armel are asked to line the procession route at points most convenient to them. The proper show of respect and honors for civilians is placing the right hand over the heart and holding it there while the hearse and the family pass. Throughout the procession helicopters from seven law enforcement agencies will conduct a stationary flight maneuver above the procession. At each mile post of the route one helicopter will hover above the procession briefly and then break off allowing the next helicopter to move into the hover position. Helicopters from the following agencies will take part in the stationary flight: Fairfax County Police Virginia State Police Maryland State Police United States Park Police Prince George’s County Police Anne Arundel County Police Metropolitan Police, District of Columbia When the procession drives past the Sully District Station, the two Fairfax County helicopters will fly in a flanking formation alongside the hearse about 300 to 400 feet above. Police anticipate crowds at the Sully District Station in anticipation of the arrival of the procession. Stonecroft Boulevard will remain open to traffic. There will be no street parking around the station. The community is advised to park away from the station and walk in. The procession is expected to travel at approximately 20 miles per hour causing extensive delays. Motorists who encounter the procession anywhere along the route are asked to give the right-of-way. Please do not break into the procession. The burial services in Warrenton are private; however the community may see helicopters in the area of the cemetery. The helicopters will be conducting a fly by during the grave site services. Area residents should be aware that there will be a 21-gun salute at the conclusion of the service. Departure from McLean Bible Church is expected to be approximately 1 to 1:30 p.m: Leesburg Pike (Route 7) East to Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) West Sully Road (Route 28) South Right onto Willard Road Left on Lee Road Left onto Stonecroft Boulevard (Past the Sully Police Station) Left onto Westfields Boulevard Sully Road (Route 28) South to Route 66 West Route 66 West to Route 17 South to Meetze Road Left onto Old Auburn Road Right onto Lunsford Road Left into Cemetery The public should be aware that traffic along the roadways where the procession will take place will be impacted. Due to the participation of so many supportive public safety agencies around the nation, the funeral procession is expected to be quite long and will take awhile to pass. Please be aware of the possibility of congestion or delay as you travel Northern Virginia roadways on Saturday afternoon. Please be patient as family, public safety personnel, friends and the community mourn the death of Detective Vicky Armel. |
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Accidentally got stuck in it this afternoon. There were, no doubt, several hundred vehicles in the procession. Here are a few quick photos I took (not that anyone here hasn’t already seen a lot more hearses than they want). I was facing N on 28 just S of Rt. 50.     |
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On Rt 7 East, they had 2 firetrucks with ladders fully extended and crossed with a large American flag hanging from it. They pulled out of the McLean Bible Church at about 1-1:15. I was almost at Lewinsville road, headed east, when I saw all the motorcycles headed east. Lots of out of county LE in attendance. Quite a moving sight.. After we finally made it on to Lewinsville Road, my daughter commented that it was about time we made it. I explained to her that it was disrespectful to say something like that in this particular circumstance. I explained that a police officer was killed, and the manner in which she died. My daughter understood after that. It was one heck of a sight, and I got misty eyed. Even removed my hat while in my car..... (don't let johninaustin see this post... he thinks that I hate all cops) |
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I had to drive by the Sully Station and pay my respects when I was on my way into work. Wish I couldve gone to the funeral. What pisses me off is that to my knowledge noone from my agency showed up. I did Sheriff's Reserves out in NM and got lucky in the fact that I only had to go to one funeral for a fallen officer. It was my understanding that the procession was in excess of 3,000 vehicles. It passed Dulles around 2-230pm as I saw the helo's hovering over the procession on Hwy 28. RIP Detective Armel 
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I was working on the Greenway Saturday morning, I get a ring at the front door of the office, its Airport Police. I buzzed in an officer and he politely explained the situation to me. They wanted us to reroute all traffic onto 606 or ont dulles toll road. We closed our 2 28 exits, which were blocked at the end of the ramp by Fairfax police. Traffic was terrible. Being a supervisor, I was called to the plaza to respond to customer complaints. I was quite horrified at some of the things that were said when I explaind why we had a delay. One thing I can remember that was said when I explaind that an officer was killed and her procession was the reason the 28 exit was blocked. "Its not my problem that there is a funeral on 28" "You guys should have planned better" I was quite pissed when customer said that but we at the Greenway "Pride" ourselves with great CS so I had to refrain from speaking my mind. As many people that stopped to pay respects, there were more who did not give an F. Its sad, really! We should have planned better, OK, next time we should ask the maniac, who, what, where, when ,why, and how are you going to complete your suicide mission so we can plan better so some insensitive A hole can be on his merry little way. What is this country comming to! |
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it is my understanding that some of her children go to the same school my son is starting at in the fall (i will not say where out of respect for the family's privacy)....I can say this, we, as a community, will support the living bejesus out of that family....and it will only be a shadow of what their real mother could have given....we all grieve for their loss. as well as the loss we as a society have suffered when someone who has sworn to protect us is killed... personally, with all that has happened in this country in the last 4 years, I think we have forgotten to value our guardians...as a disabled vet it hurts everytime a soldier is killed....or a police officer....not to sound cheesy, but I always thought the sentiment was summed up best in a few good men... "they stand a post, and they say nothing is going to hurt you, not tonight, not as long as I'm here" it was very cathartic to see the outpouring of grief and sorrow....it is good to never forget....and maybe we as a society havent yet...at least not all of us (I personally would have had a hard time not slugging the toll dude..but thats why I do not work in CS) RIP Detective....may it be said: "Well done! be thou at peace...." |
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While I don't work for the Fairfax PD, I do want to say thank you to all who have paid their respects however you did it. I am new to law enforcement and attended Det. Armel's funeral yesterday. The amount of people that lined the funeral route did truly surprise me. As my partner and I drove the route people saluted, had their hands over their hearts and some were praying. I was truly moved and a bit misty eyed as well. I made a comment to my partner about how nice it was that of all the people we saw out there, no one seemed to be upset about the massive delays caused. RIP Det. Armel |
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I was coming back from picking up my rifle at VA. Arms right about the time the procession got started, so I saw it going down the road from the eastbound side. I was amazed at all the spectators, and the fact that 66 was actually closed for a while. Detective Armel was the aunt of a former co-worker of mine, as it turns out. |
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Wish I could've been able to see the procession. I was helping a buddy move in MD, and I ran into the tail end of the jam-up. Haven't seen one that bad in a while, it even jammed the back roads. I deduced what it had to be before I read it on here, so I wasn't annoyed at humanity in general like I would have been otherwise. When the bad guy gets blasted in something like this, part of me is glad we get the paperwork and the excuse-making in the courts out of the way, but part of me wishes he were still around to suffer a little more for it. 
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| Speaking of processions, does anybody know what the hell that was coming North on I95 last night at about 6:00 PM? There were probably 50-60 motorcycles, a dozen or so squad cars and 6 busses driving North past Lorton and causing big slow-downs on both sides of the highway. They were in the HOV lanes. |