Friends share legacy of Sgt. Cory Maynard

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Saturday was a somber and difficult day for the Williamson community. Trooper Cory Maynard was known well in the city.

Shirley Mounts and her work family at Three Guys Pizza in Williamson set out a beer at the spot where Trooper Maynard used to sit.

“Cory was definitely one of the good ones. He cared about everybody,” said Mounts. “It was always yes ma’am, thank you. Even if you knew him for years, he is very polite, very friendly, always laughing.”

Mounts said Maynard would talk with her about how to make the Williamson community better.

“He really cared about the community. He and I would talk about ways to make it better for the kids in our area. I’m a teacher in this area,” said Mounts.

She said law enforcement was Maynard’s passion. He was a graduate of Belfry High School and he also received a life-saving award from WVSP for saving a life during a pursuit in Virginia in 2014.

On Friday, just an hour before Maynard was called out for the call about a shooting in the Beech Creek area, he got his weekly hair cut at Bucci’s Barbershop in Williamson.

“He was in here, normal, he is in here every week, every Thursday, Friday getting a hair cut,” said owner and friend, Joseph Bucci. “He left out of here and you never thought you would not see him again.”

Bucci is also a city council member in Williamson. He said it did not matter whether Maynard was in uniform or not, he would show up to council meetings passionate about getting dilapidated homes torn down.

“He would come to the meetings stern and he would make his voice known that he was going to do everything in his power to help get houses torn down if it meant going out and citing and writing tickets,” said Bucci.

Mounts said what she will miss is Maynard’s passion for making their hometown of Williamson a better place.

“The way that he cared about our community. What he wanted to see from our community,” said Mounts.

For more coverage of Sgt. Cory Maynard who was killed in the line of duty Friday, click here.

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