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Thousands mourn Fairfax police officer
On Oct. 30, thousands paid their respects to 2nd Lt. Frank Stecco, 42, who drowned after disappearing on Oct. 21 during a helicopter water rescue exercise in Pohick Bay.
Many stood on nearby streets as a funeral procession made its way from Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home in Fairfax to Hylton Chapel in Woodbridge.
More than 1,500 co-workers, friends and family – including his loyal dog Jack – gathered to honor Stecco's memory before his interment at Quantico National Cemetery.
Stecco's family moved to Throop, Pa., in the Scranton metro area when he was an infant. It remained his home until graduation from high school in 1984.
He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1985 and was stationed at Quantico Marine Base. After attaining the rank of Corporal, Stecco was honorably discharged in 1988. He then joined the Fairfax County Police Department in February 1989.
Stecco was awarded the Silver Medal of Valor in 1994 for rescuing a man from a flame-engulfed mobile home that the man had intentionally set on fire.
He received the Bronze Medal of Valor in 1997 for disarming a suspect in a domestic violence shooting. According to reports, Stecco stared down the barrel of a rifle as he wrestled a weapon away from the suspect.
In 2000, he was awarded the Certificate of Valor for disarming a suicidal man armed with a knife and razor blade. "He really led from the front," said Major Sharon Smith. "People wanted to transfer to his squad.”
"He will be missed by a lot of people," added Officer Mark Yawornicky.
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