NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Police officers from all around the United States gathered in Norfolk Friday to bring awareness to officers who have died in the line of duty.
The send off ceremony for the annual Police Unity Tour started at 7 a.m. at Town Point Park. This year’s group consists of 100 riders, 30 motorcycle officers and 60 support units, all heading towards the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington D.C.
10 On Your Side saw officers from various police departments such as Tampa, Orlando, and St. Charles Parish.
“Our motivation is to show support to the families, to the friends, to coworkers who’ve lost loved ones in the line of duty serving their communities. We want to remind them that they have never been forgotten,” said Craig Russell, a retired Baton Rouge Police Officer.
Once the riders left Town Point Park, they head to York County. The group will ride on George Washington Memorial Highway. Around 11:30 a.m. they plan to arrive at Yorktown Beach for lunch.
According to the Officer Down Memorial there were 137 line of duty deaths in the country in 2023. 56 officers have died in the line of duty so far in the year 2024.
One of the most recent line of duty deaths in Hampton Roads was in 2020, when Newport News police officer Katie Thyne was killed when she was dragged by a car after a traffic stop.
The Police Unity Tour aims to raise funds for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum in Washington, D.C., the last stop on the tour.
“I want them [people] to remember the service that these fallen heroes have given to their communities and the sacrifices their families made so that we can have such a great country,” Russell said.
The group plans to make it to D.C. by Sunday.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
