Council approves naming street project after fallen officer
on February 17, 2010
Bradley Moody was doing the job he’d done for more than seven years on that fateful rainy morning.
The veteran Richmond police officer responded to a 911 call reporting a possible assault in October 2008. Moments later, he lost control of his police cruiser, slamming sideways into a light pole.
Moody, a 29-year-old father of two, was killed. His beloved police dog, Rico, was injured, but survived.
At a packed City Council meeting Tuesday, in front of dozens of friends, family and uniformed comrades, the Council unanimously approved a resolution naming the yet-to-be-constructed Marina Bay Parkway underpass after the fallen officer.
“Richmond has once again lost one of its heroes,” said Sgt. Tod Opdyke, who delivered an emotional plea to the council before it adopted the resolution.
Sgt. Tod Opdyke addressing the council.
The underpass will be named the “Officer Bradley A. Moody Memorial Underpass.”
The resolution was supported by the Marina Bay Neighborhood Council, the Richmond Redevolopment Agency, Police Chief Chris Magnus and the Recreation and Parks Commission. The resolution was brought before the city’s legislative body by Councilman Jim Rogers.
Moody joined the department in 2000. He was kept on life-support so that his organs could be donated. A memorial still marks the spot where he was killed, said Councilwoman Maria Viramontes, who lives nearby.
A procession of residents and colleagues spoke in favor of the resolution, many reciting personal memories of Moody. When the resolution was adopted, the council chamber erupted into cheers. Moody’s widow, on hand with her two young children, held her hands to her face, then embraced friends and family.
Former Councilman John Marquez remembered Moody as a “gentle” man who gave presentations to local schoolchildren with the help of his canine sidekick.
“He was always smiling,” Marquez said.
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More information and photographs are available at this family memorial site for Officer Moody and also at this city memorial site.
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