Family, Fellow Police Say Goodbye to Cop Killed in Accident

Reporting by Patch writer Zach DeRitis

Greeted by the echoing sound of bagpipes, hundreds of Moorestown police officers, family and friends gathered in the First United Methodist Church in Moorestown Saturday to mourn the death of Ptlm. Craig Berner.

Berner was a 26-year veteran of the Moorestown Police Department and former Marine who died in an off-duty motorcycle accident last Saturday.

His family, friends and fellow officers gathered in the church to remember Berner through prayer and fond memories. He was most recalled for his laugh, outgoing personality and kind disposition.

“Craig was an outstanding police officer,” said Sgt. Jay Dever. “Craig was kind, smart, compassionate, enduring and brave.”

While struggling to hold back his tears, Sgt. Dever still managed to bring laughter to the packed church with anecdotes that characterized Berner’s caring and humorous personality.

He looked back on a time when Berner pranked Dever’s house by giving it the appearance of a crime scene due to an Easter Bunny home invasion. He even noted an apparently notorious interpretive dance.

“And we can all remember that interpretive dance,” he said as half the room burst into laughter.

Dever also recalled Berner’s uncompromising work ethic. He noted an occasion when Berner brought his own chainsaw to work to remove downed trees from the road during heavy storms and two separate occasions when Berner tried towing tractor-trailers with his own police car.

“Work for Craig was play, as we all know,” he said. “He never minded staying late after the end of a mess of a day.”

Berner’s wife, Carrie Berner, spoke briefly, only asking the community for simple favor in memory of her late husband.

“The thing that Craig was best at and thing that Craig was most proud of being was a dad,” she said. “So today, I want to honor Craig as being the most incredible dad and ask that if you love Craig, love his children.”