Memorial service held for NCSHP Trooper Steven Perry
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A wall of mourners - a mix of family, friends and fellow law enforcement officers - lined up Wednesday to pay their respects to North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper Steven Perry, who was killed earlier this month in an on-duty crash.
"He wasn't just a coworker. He was a brother. And if you ever had the privilege of knowing him, you know exactly what kind of man I'm talking about. Big P was the kind of man who was always there for everyone around him. He truly was the glue that held our district together in many ways," said Trooper L.A. Coats with the NCSHP.
Perry was struck and killed in a head-on collision around 2:45 a.m. Sunday, March 1, on NC 147 near Anderson Street in Durham. The driver of the other vehicle, 39-year-old Melshawn Moore of Kinston, was traveling the wrong way. State Highway Patrol officials say impairment is suspected to have been a factor in the crash.
Court records obtained by ABC11 show Moore had at least three prior DWI convictions between 2010 and 2017.
Perry, a Durham native, was a football star at Riverside High and North Carolina Central University before embarking on a career in law enforcement.
"Relentless, hard worker, great friend. What keeps resonating with everyone is how he put everyone before himself. And that's the same thing he did on the football field," said Jerry Mack, head football coach at Kennesaw State University, who served as head coach at NCCU for three seasons while Perry played.
"He really encapsulated what we're hoping to gain by being true ambassadors in our communities. We want to be engaged. We want to be visible. And Trooper Perry really was all of that," said Lt. Chris Knox with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Law enforcement officers from across the country traveled to Wednesday's memorial service.
"It means a lot to us. I know it means a lot to the North Carolina Highway Patrol as well. We always say that it's a brotherhood, and in difficult times like this, it always proves itself when you see people willing to come from nationwide - from West Coast to East Coast, all over - to support a family that's going through a difficult time," said Senior Trooper Matthew Ezell with the Virginia State Police.
At NCCU, Perry joined Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
"As an Omega man, he stood shoulder to shoulder with his brothers in a bond that lasts a lifetime," said fraternity brother Nick Leverett.
Family friend Rodney Rivers, also a member of Omega Psi Phi, remarked on the wide range of people Perry connected with throughout his life.
"For him to have 30 years of life, he's made a very great impact on everyone from day one until this final day," Rivers said.
Above all, Perry was a family man. Col. Freddy Johnson with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol shared a message directed at Perry's 9 month old daughter.
"Though she may be too young to remember the sound of his voice or the strength of his embrace, she will grow up surrounded by the stories of a father who was brave, devoted and honorable. She will know that her dad was a hero, not because of how he died, but because of how he lived," Johnson said.
