Next month's The 2016 Marine Corps 17.75-kilometer race K will be dedicated to the Marine veteran reservist and Prince William County Ppolice Oofficer who was gunned down during her first shift as a police officer last month in Virginia. on Feb. 27, according to a Monday press release from the Marine Corps Marathon.
The Marine Corps Marathon's 17.75K, which is held in Virginia's Prince William County, will honor Ashley Guindon, a police officer for that county who was Prince William County Police Officer Ashley Guindon was killed Feb. 27 on her first day of police work while responding to a domestic disturbance, the Associated Press originally reported.
Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Hamilton allegedly shot Guindon and two of her colleagues after they responded to a call at his home; Guindon was the only police casualty. According to court documents, Hamilton has admitted since pleaded guilty to shooting the officers and his wife, Crystal Hamilton, who also died at the scene, according to the AP.
The decision to dedicate the race to Guindon the fallen police officer and Marine veteran wasn’t difficult, Tami Faram, a spokeswoman for the Marine Corps Marathon Public Relations Tami Faram told Marine Corps Times in a phone interview on Monday.
"Truly, it just made sense," she said.
Guindon joined the Marine Corps in 2007 and served in the Reserve until 2015. She was assigned to 4th Marine Logistics Group and served as a field radio operator and personnel retrieval and processing specialist.
The hard work and commitment of the police officers involved in the shooting paralleled that of Marines, so after receiving word of the incident, Faram said the tragic incident highlighted the common ethos between the Marine Corps and the Prince William County Police Department. That left the marathon staff feeling were compelled to act, she said.
"We felt like we wanted to do something," Faram said.
The sold-out event slated for April 2 has also made room for Guindon’s friends, colleagues and loved ones to run in her honor, according to a news the release. Faram said that officers from the Prince William County Police Department, rescue personnel, firefighters and others more will join the pool of 2,000 pre-registered runners.
But Guindon's service didn't start on the force.
"Guindon was also a U.S. Marine corporal serving with the 4th Marine Logistics Group, assigned to the Marine Corps Reserve United located at Joint Base Anacostia-Boiling in Anacostia, MD," the release reads. "She served from May 2007 to February 2015 as a field radio operator and personnel retrieval specialist."
The decision to dedicate the race to the fallen police officer and Marine veteran wasn't difficult, Marine Corps Marathon Public Relations Tami Faram told Marine Corps Times in a phone interview on Monday.
"Truly, it just made sense," she said.
The hard work and commitment of the police officers involved in the shooting paralleled that of Marines, so after receiving word of the incident, Faram said, marathon staff were compelled to act.
"We felt like we wanted to do something," she said.
The sold-out event slated for April 2 has also made room for Guindon's friends, colleagues and loved ones to run in her honor, according to the release. Faram said that officers from the Prince William County Police Department, rescue personnel, firefighters and more will join the pool of 2,000 pre-registered runners.
According to the release, tThe police-led lead team will don tT-shirts emblazoned with the names of four Prince William County police officers who were killed while serving their communities: Officers Chris Yung, Officer Mike Pennington, Office Paul T. White, Jr. and Officer Ashley Guindon.
For those interested in participating And if you knew Guindon or her family, but didn’t get to register yet, Faram said there’s still time.
"If someone knew the officer or the family, we would love to hear from them," she said, advising parties to contact the Prince William County Police Department's public information officer at 703-792-5123 or JPerok@pwcgov.org. Marine Corps Marathon or Faram directly. She can be reached by phone at 703-432-1840 or via email at tami.faram@usmc.mil.
The 11.03-mile race will start in Manassas and conclude in Prince William Forest Park, the release says. Full race details are available on the Marine Corps Marathon's website. at www.marinemarathon.com.
Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory is the Early Bird Brief Editor at Military Times and Defense News. She also does breaking news and general assignment reporting for Military Times. She can be reached at joprihory@militarytimes.com.
