Fairfax County Police Department, Virginia
End of Watch: Thursday, June 28, 2001
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 29 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Motorcycle crash
Date of Incident: June 28, 2001
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Captain Tommy Bernal was killed when his motorcycle was struck head-on by a vehicle while he was conducting a training exercise with several agencies near Front Royal, Virginia.
He was riding on Route 649, a winding and hilly country road, with members of Fairfax County and Arlington County motor squads. The unit in front of him lost control on a curve and swerved into an oncoming lane. A vehicle in that lane swerved into Captain Bernal's lane to avoid colliding with the unit and collided with Captain Bernal as he crested a hill.
Captain Bernal had served with the Fairfax County Police Department for 29 years. He is survived by his wife and three sons.