Derrick Lamont McFarland was 32 when he was killed on August 20, 2006, in Blacksburg, Virginia. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, McFarland worked as a security guard at Montgomery Regional Hospital. Family remembered him as a devoted husband and father, a gentle giant who could fix anything and loved riding his bike.

His death occurred after an inmate at the hospital, William Morva, overpowered a sheriff’s deputy, took the deputy’s firearm, and escaped custody. McFarland was fatally shot while attempting to assist the officer and protect people at the hospital. Morva was captured the next day and charged in connection with the shooting.

McFarland’s family and community lost a man described as quiet, kind, and reliable. Does anyone have memories of Derrick or information about his life that could add to the record?