Hundreds gather to honor fallen Virginia State Trooper Lucas Dowell

CHILHOWIE, Va. – Hundreds turned out Friday to honor a hometown hero as friends prepared to gather with the family of a fallen state trooper.

Lucas Dowell, 28, was killed in the line of duty while serving a warrant this week.

Crowds of people came out Friday to show their respects to the family of Dowell during the first two hours of visitation services from 2 to 4 p.m. in Chilhowie. 

Dowell spent the early years of his life growing up in Chilhowie before studying at Radford University for four years.

It wasn't just people who live in the town at Friday's visitation service. Law enforcement officers from across the country, including from North Carolina, New York and Georgia, came to pay their respects. People were also showing their condolences on signs throughout the town.

The people sometimes came in crowds so large, there wasn't enough room for parking. Buses were used as shuttles to pick people up from a nearby elementary school.

Driving through Chilhowie, businesses used their billboards to express messages and prayers at banks, restaurants, schools and city offices. 

Virginia State Police have placed a car at the area office in Appomattox, where Dowell worked. He was also part of the tactical team.

Gov. Ralph Northam ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on Saturday in commemoration of the fallen Virginia State Police trooper. Many of the flags in Chilhowie were already lowered as a way to remember the fallen trooper.

According to a state police spokesperson, it's not common for all members from each division to come together as one, but they showed up Friday to honor their brother, friend and co-worker.

A funeral service open tot he public will be held tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. at Chilhowie Christian Church and will be live streamed on the WSLS website and Facebook page.