VBSO mourns death of longtime Lieutenant
A longtime member of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office died unexpectedly on Monday. Lt. Nicole Bendily died at her home in Virginia Beach. She was 49 and leaves behind a husband and two daughters.
Lt. Bendily joined the VBSO on July 1, 2002, and was currently assigned to the Medical Division. She made many important contributions to the Sheriff’s Office during her 19 years of honorable service, including serving in Correctional Operations, Intake/Release, Classification and the Professional Standards Office. She was also a Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services-certified General Instructor who taught ethics and other topics to Basic Academy recruits. She was instrumental in forming the Criminal Intelligence Unit and investigated and successfully prosecuted the first Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) case in Virginia Beach. While working full-time, she went back to school to earn her degree to enable her promotion through the ranks. She was also active in the Sheriff’s Office’s volunteer efforts for Special Olympics Virginia and other causes.
"We are heartbroken at the sudden loss of Lt. Bendily, who was an incredible deputy sheriff who made many lasting contributions to the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office and the city of Virginia Beach,” said Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle. “She will be greatly missed and always remembered for the impact that she had. We are doing everything we can to support her family during this difficult time.”
The Bendily family is accepting visits from friends and family and will consider media interviews on a case-by-case basis.
In lieu of flowers, a GoFundMe account has been created to provide support for the Bendily family: https://gofund.me/e0379f83.
For additional information, please contact Toni Guagenti, Civilian Public Information Officer: tguagenti@vbso.net or 757-385-8446.
