Portion Of Hwy. 49 Named For Fallen Officer

GULFPORT, Miss.--The late Gulfport Police Officer Lt. Robert J. Curry is immortalized with a portion of Hwy. 49 in Gulfport named in his honor. Miss. Souther District Transportation Commissioner Tom King, former Rep. Roger Ishee and Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford gathered for the dedication at the Lyman Community Center, 6 p.m. Thursday.

"Many years agao I heard a comment made," said Ishee. "He picked up a clean badge, he laid down a clean badge. That's what this gentleman did. Most officers can say that. God bless them all."

Curry was on his motorcycle in 2008, on the way to a funeral escort detail, when a driver pulled out in front of him.

A news release from the Miss. Dept. of Transportation described Curry as a dedicated and passionate police officer, always striving to improve the overall safety of traffic in the City of Gulfport. He was the president of S.T.O.R.M. (Sobriety Trained Officers Representing Mississippi), an accomplished hostage negotiator and a Master D.U.I. Instructor.

"He was a natural leader. His enthusiasm and demand for action spread throughout whatever he was doing," said Weatherford.

A House bill in 2009 designated part of Hwy. 49 to be named for Curry.

Audio courtesy MDOT

Portion of Hwy. 49 Named for Fallen Officer