Colonel W. Gerald Massengill led the Virginia State Police during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the D.C.-area sniper shootings.
RICHMOND, Va. — The superintendent who guided the Virginia State Police during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and throughout D.C.-area sniper shootings in 2002 has died.
Retired Superintendent Colonel W. Gerald Massengill died Jan. 1 in his Dinwiddie County home.
Massengill worked with VSP from 1966 to 2003. His 37-year career took him to riots, floods, labor strikes demonstrations, crime scenes, hostage situations and more, said Matthew Demlein, VSP’s public relations coordinator.
Massengill credited his many experiences, and the lessons he learned along the way, with helping mold his leadership style: “To do things the right way, but to always do the ‘right’ things.”
“During his extensive tenure with the State Police, Colonel Massengill was known for his calm, kind, and compassionate demeanor,” Demlein said. “We are deeply saddened by …