Jamie Forzato, wtop.com
BELTSVILLE, Md. – Last August, Prince George’s County police officer Adrian Morris was killed in the line of duty when his cruiser crashed during a high-speed chase. He was just 23 years old.
The two-and-a-half-year veteran of the force died serving his community, and on Saturday the community had a chance to give back to his family by running a 5k memorial race in his honor.
Cpl. Kenneth Hibbert described Morris as like a little brother to him. “He always tried to get me out to run. He would come over to my house and say, ‘Hey Hib, we’re running!’ And I’m like, ‘I worked already!'” Hibbert recalls. “So today I’m running for him.”
Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker spoke to the crowd of dozens of people before kicking off the race. “He was a great young officer,” Baker says. “I got a chance to meet him while he was still a cadet. We lost him too soon … He was loved by everyone.”
The proceeds will help Morris’s family pay their bills and jump-start a scholarship fund for his 8-year-old brother.
Hibbert says the department has changed since Morris’s passing in terms of “vehicle safety and making sure officers are taking care of each other.” He adds, “Even though he passed away, his legacy will never be forgotten.”
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