PULASKI COUNTY, Va. – A man has been convicted of destroying a roadside memorial for a fallen Pulaski County sergeant, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Authorities said that John Davidson damaged the roadside memorial for Sgt. Perry Hodge in February. Hodge died in a January crash. The memorial was on Route 11 north of Dublin.
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Davidson was convicted of a class 1 misdemeanor for the destruction of property less than $1,000. He also received a 12-mont suspended jail sentence that’s contingent on him successfully completing supervised probation and paying a $500 fine.
According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney, he was also convicted of a class 1 misdemeanor for reckless driving and received the maximum six months driver’s license suspension.
Davidson entered a guilty plea to a third charge of leaving the scene of an accident less than $50 and was put on probation for 12 months.
Below is a portion of the statement from the Commonwealth’s Attorney:
“The Commonwealth appreciates this young man accepting responsibility for his actions. The temporary memorial on Rt. 11 in memory of Sgt. Perry Hodge certainly means a lot to many people in this community, including my office. As someone who had no criminal convictions before today, we are hopeful and confident that Mr. Davidson abides by the Court’s orders and that his actions that day were an anomaly. Mr. Davidson was extremely remorseful for his actions. This case is a good example of how we don’t always know just how our actions can affect others. The Commonwealth is appreciative of the work of the Virginia State Police and the assistance of the public in this investigation.”
Justin Griffith, Pulaski County Commonwealth's Attorney