Area police agencies to come together to honor Wisconsin's fallen police officers
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Police motorcycles from local police agencies were loaded into a semi-truck on Friday, Oct. 8, destined for Washington, D.C.
The bikes and the officers that ride them will take part in ceremonies for National Police Weekend, which starts next week.
"It's an honor, it really is an honor to be chosen by the department to go out there to be a working motor, to be able to go there and support...the families and to represent the department it's an honor," said Officer John Hefley, with the Milwaukee Police Department.
The motorcycles are taking a trip to Washington, D.C., for an important assignment. Once there, the motorcycles and the officers that ride them, called "motor units," will take part in a special escort and salute to the families of police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
It's part of national police weekend, when the names of those fallen officers are added to the wall at the national law enforcement officers memorial.
Usually held in May, during National Police Week, it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, the names of Milwaukee Police Officer Matthew Rittner, Racine Police Officer John Hetland, and Dane County Deputy Sheriff Richard Treadwell, will be added among 710 other names from 2019 and 2020.
"On the final day when the families are being escorted out to the capitol, we, all of the motor officers escort one big group of massive buses out there, and once we get out to the area, we all dismount our motorcycles and we all stand at attention as all the buses go by saluting the families as they go by," said Officer Hefley.
Officer John Hefley is a member of the Milwaukee Police Department's Motor Unit.
Officers from Racine, New Berlin, and Dane County sheriff's deputies will also travel to DC.
The semi truck transporting the bikes was generously donated by Haul-Bikes of Milwaukee, and the House of Harley-Davidson is helping with transportation costs.