The U.S. Marine Corps wants to make sure the children of a slain Athens-Clarke officer have the money they need to get a college education in the years ahead.
In August, the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation will award $60,000 in educational bonds to the widow of police officer Elmer "Buddy" Christian, who was gunned down in the line of duty March 22 on an Athens street.
Christian’s accused killer, Jamie Hood, who also shot another officer, was indicted in June on 70-counts and is in jail awaiting trial.
Christian, 34, had been with the Athens police force since December 2002. He and his wife of 15 years, Melissa, have two children — 2-year-old Wyatt and 5-year-old Callie.
Agostino von Hassell, a board member of the New York-based foundation, said he recommended to the group that the Christian children be awarded the bonds -- $30,000 each.
Hassell said Tuesday that he read about Christian’s killing shortly after it occurred and was struck by the senseless nature of it. He also said awarding the bonds shows that “America is a generous country” and takes care of its law enforcement officers.
The foundation normally awards bonds only to the children of fallen Marines and federal law enforcement officers. But on occasion, as in the case of Christian children, bonds are awarded to the families of local police.
Von Hassell is founder of the Repton Group, a company that specializes information gathering for global clients. The German-born businessman, who has lived in the U.S. for more than 40 years, said he and his 13-year-old son, William, will award the bonds to Melissa Christian in Athens on Aug. 3.
The bonds are set to fully mature when the Christian children reach age 18.
The foundation, which funds the bonds through donations, expects to award about $10 million in bonds this year. Since its founding 16 years ago, it has distributed bonds with values of more than $50 million.
Hood surrendered to police on live television March 25 after a standoff at a duplex in Athens in which he allegedly held 10 people hostage for more than 12 hours.
In addition to killing Christian, Hood, 33, is accused of wounding of police officer Tony Howard during the March 22 shooting.
Hood is also indicted in the killing of Kenneth Omari Wray, an Athens-Clarke Transportation and Public Works employee who was fatally shot Dec. 28.
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