Reading FOP Lodge #9

06/02/2026

The Exeter Township School District will host the end-of-watch service of Central Berks Police Officer Kristen Yeager on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Lutz Funeral Home is handling arrangements with the Fraternal Order of Police and Exeter Township Police Department coordinating the service. Gates to Don Thomas Stadium at Exeter Township Senior High will open at 11AM with the service set to begin at noon.

The Exeter Township Senior High School’s lot will be closed to the public. Public parking and a shuttle will be available at Reiffton School, 4355 Dunham Drive. Guests should plan to arrive early as parking may be limited.

The service is expected to last approximately one hour and will conclude with a 21-gun salute and helicopter flyover in honor of Officer Yeager's service and sacrifice.
Officer Yeager’s obituary can be found on the funeral home's website at https://www.lutzfuneralhome.com/obituaries/kristen-yeager.

The Exeter Township School District is honored to provide a place for family, friends, colleagues and community members to come together to remember and celebrate the life of Officer Kristen Yeager. A 2002 graduate of Exeter Township Senior High School, Officer Yeager dedicated her life to serving others, and her loss is deeply felt throughout our community. The District extends its heartfelt condolences to her family, loved ones, fellow officers and all who had the privilege of knowing her.

06/02/2026

View Kristen M. (Houck) Yeager's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

06/02/2026

On Friday, Central Berks Regional Police Officer Kristin Yeager was responding to an emergency call to assist a neighboring agency. While enroute, Officer Yeager was involved in a single-vehicle crash in Earl Township, PA. Her patrol car left the roadway, collided into a tree and she was ejected from the vehicle. Kristen was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

42-year old Officer Kristen Yeager proudly served with the Central Berks Regional Police Department for two and a half years. Kristen previously worked as a school resource officer for both Boyertown Area High School and Lebanon County High School, and as an officer with Womelsdorf PD.

Kristen was a graduate of Exeter High School and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Administration of Justice from Shippensburg University, where she was a gifted and standout athlete on their field hockey team. She was a member of the 2005 team that won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship. She later coached field hockey and basketball to give back to the youth and remain in the sports that she held close to heart.

Kristen enjoyed fitness and being outside in the sunshine. But most importantly, she loved being a mom. Her kids were her absolute life. Kristen leaves behind a loving husband and three young children. Officer Yeager was the first line of duty death in the CBRPD since it was founded in 1993.

05/31/2026

05/30/2026

Today, our department mourns the heartbreaking loss of Officer Kristen Yeager, who made the ultimate sacrifice while responding to a call for service on May 29, 2026.

Officer Yeager served our community with courage, compassion, and unwavering dedication. She answered the call to protect and serve each day, placing the safety of others above her own. Her commitment to her badge, her fellow officers, and the citizens she served will never be forgotten.

We ask that you keep Officer Yeager’s family, friends, and our entire law enforcement family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.

Rest easy, Officer Yeager. Your watch has ended, but your legacy of service and sacrifice will live on forever. We got it from here.

🖤💙 End of Watch: May 29, 2026

05/27/2026

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05/25/2026

🇺🇸 Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Their courage, sacrifice, and dedication to protecting others will never be forgotten. From all of us at Reading Lodge No. 9, we thank and remember our fallen heroes this Memorial Day. 🇺🇸

05/22/2026

Good riddance!

Andrew Smith was convicted today of Persons Not to Possess a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number, Receiving Stolen Property, and Conspiracy, after a 3 day jury trial. Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior convictions, including Involuntary Manslaughter for the death of Reading Police Officer Michael Wise II in 2004. Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2026. The case was investigated through the Berks County Gun Task Force by Cpl. Darren Smith of the Berks County Detectives, and was tried by ADA Jordan Fegley.

05/21/2026

Police say 21‑year‑old Reading man opened fire into crowd fighting at 17th and Cotton streets, critically wounding two men, before being wounded by return fire.