RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – More than 60 law enforcement officers from 20 local, state, and federal agencies across North Carolina and Virginia will begin a multi-day cycling journey to Washington, D.C. for National Police Week. It started Monday. The event is designed to honor officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Major Brian Harrison of the Raleigh Police Department is one of the participants in the ride. He is a member of Team Raleigh Cycling, a group formed by retired law enforcement officers and supported by departments throughout the region.
“Our core membership is from the Raleigh Police department but we’re joined by agencies right here in the region. We’re going to start what will end up being an over 500 mile cycling journey up to Washington, D.C. for police week,” Harrison told the WPTF Morning News.
The ride has been held annually for the past 15 years. Harrison, who has participated eight times, said the route includes stops at several agencies across North Carolina to pay tribute to fallen officers before continuing into Virginia.
“It is a long ways especially when you’re peddling a bicycle,” said Harrison. “We have three days that we journey here in the state of North Carolina visiting agencies along the way to honor their fallen heroes. Then we will have a day where we will meet up with another organization called ‘Law Enforcement United’ in Chesapeake, Virginia. Then we’ll do another three days from Chesapeake, Virginia up to Washington, D.C.”
In D.C., officers will take part in a candlelight vigil.This year’s ceremony includes the addition of a Raleigh officer’s name to the national memorial.
“This year is the 37th annual candlelight vigil. This is going to be a really special one for those of us from the Raleigh area as well because Officer Gabriel Torres, who was killed in 2022 in the Headingham shooting will be honored this year and his name will be placed on the National Memorial Wall,” said Harrison.
Support for the ride has continued to grow each year, drawing more attention and participation from both agencies and community members. Harrison shared that some of the most impactful moments happen in small towns where recognition is long overdue.
“The biggest reward is when we stop at an agency that hasn’t had a recognition of an officer ever. One of the most touching moments is when you have a family and we honor an officer that was killed more than 100 years ago, and we still have family members in that community that show up and they say ‘thank you, no one has ever done this before’,” said Harrison.