By order of the Governor of the State of Missouri, U.S. and Missouri flags shall be flown at half-staff at all government buildings in St. Louis County, Missouri, for one full day on December 10, 2021, from sunrise to sunset in honor of Detective Antonio Antoine Valentine.
State government departments are responsible for distributing this information throughout your department for compliance with this order. You can find the proclamation from the Governor here.
Mark Hill, Director
OA, FMDC
WHEREAS, Antonio Antoine Valentine dedicated his life to serving the State of Missouri and the United States as a law enforcement officer and member of the United States military; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Valentine served in the United States military, first as an active duty member of the U.S. Army from July 1999 to February 2000, then in the U.S. Army National Guard, where he achieved the rank of sergeant, and then as a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve until his retirement as a technical sergeant in February 2021; and
WHEREAS, during his military service, Mr. Valentine courageously deployed to active combat missions in Iraq and Kyrgyzstan; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Valentine earned his Missouri Peace Officer license after graduating from the Eastern Missouri Law Enforcement Training Academy on September 21, 2006, and was first commissioned as a police officer by the Cool Valley Police Department on February 28, 2007; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Valentine was commissioned by the St. Louis County Police Department on June 11, 2007, and through diligence and commitment to protecting his community, rose to the rank of detective; and
WHEREAS, on December 1, 2021, Mr. Valentine was on duty with the St. Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Drug Enforcement when he was fatally injured in a motor vehicle collision with a vehicle refusing to stop for other officers; and
WHEREAS, law enforcement officers courageously and selflessly strive to ensure the safety and well-being of their fellow citizens; and
WHEREAS, the people of the State of Missouri are thankful for the brave individuals in law enforcement who consider the welfare of others a personal responsibility and work tirelessly to protect the lives and property of their fellow citizens.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Michael L. Parson, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, as a mark of respect for the death of
DETECTIVE ANTONIO ANTOINE VALENTINE
and for his bravery and service to the St. Louis County Police Department do hereby order that the flag of the United States and the flag of Missouri shall be flown at half-staff at all government buildings in the St. Louis County, Missouri, for one full day on December 10, 2021, from sunrise to sunset.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, in the City of Jefferson, this 9th day of December, 2021.
Michael L. Parson
Governor