Behind the Badge
Eight peace officers died in the line of duty in California in 2018, lifting the total number of line-of-duty deaths in the state to 1,649.
Nationally, 163 officers died in the line of duty in 2018, and another 47 have fallen over the first five months of 2019.
To keep the memories of every fallen officer alive, teams of Orange County peace officers complete a 630-bike ride every year.
Bicycle team members from Westminster Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and the Tustin Police Department ride past the Westminster Police Department to the Officer’s Memorial to finish their 630-mile bike ride.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Roughly two dozen officers from the Westminster and Tustin police departments and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) completed a four-day cycling trek from the California Peace Officers’ Memorial to Westminster Police Department’s fallen officer memorial, arriving at about 2:30 p.m. May 23.
Family members, friends, and fellow officers were there to greet the cyclists, who got off their bicycles, circled the memorial, held hands, and observed a moment of silence to remember their fallen brothers and sisters.
The annual ride coincides with National Police Week and takes place to honor peace officers who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty and to raise money for the families of those fallen officers.
Eight-year-old Finn Murray, left, and his sister Darby Murray, 10, hold up signs as their father, Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Murray rides past with the rest of the cycling team as they finish the 630-mile bike run at the Westminster Police Department’s Officer’s Memorial.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
“Cops are close with each other anyway,” said Westminster Police Sgt. Bill Drinnin, one of the organizers of the annual ride. “Every single officer that is involved in it was beyond dedicated to this cause so we all are truly (united) for that one reason … and this makes us even closer.”
The cyclists were divided into three groups, with each group riding 50 to 80 miles a day.
“It’s not easy,” Drinnin said. “It was cold and windy and there was some rain, but the miles have to get covered and they were.”
Bicycle riders, including Tustin Police Officer Bonnie Breeze and Westminster Police Commander Michael Chapman gather at the Westminster Police Department’s Officer’s Memorial at the end of a 630-mile bike ride from Sacramento to Westminster.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Orange County Sheriff’s Department retired Deputy Ron Dunlap started the interagency ride in 2001 to raise funds for the Project 999 Foundation, which supports Orange County officers injured or killed in the line of duty.
In 2012, Drinnin began organizing the event, adding Code 3 Cycling to the cause. Code 3 is the Westminster Police Department’s memorial foundation supporting fallen and injured officers and their families locally and across the country.
Tustin Police Officer Bonnie Breeze is an avid cyclist who participated in the ride for at least the eighth time.
The team from the Westminster Police Department gathers at the Officer’s Memorial at the end of their 630-mile bike ride from Sacramento to Westminster.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
“(It’s) four days of suffering and eating together,” Breeze said. “We’re in vans together. We definitely get to know each other a lot better.”
As a member of the OCSD honor guard, Breeze has also participated in funerals and memorial services for fallen officers.
“I’ve been to a lot of funerals and I’ve gone all across the country to many different agencies to honor these guys,” she said.
Tustin Police Officer Bonnie Breeze, right, gets a hug from a co-rider as they finish their 630-mile bike run at the Westminster Police Department’s Officer’s Memorial.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
OCSD Deputy Chris Yurial completed the ride for the second time and was among four OCSD deputies who participated.
“It’s a great experience,” said Yurial, who is assigned to the Theo Lacy Facility. “We do it for a great cause. At the end of the day, we’re all here for one purpose and it’s for our fallen brothers and sisters. We make it down here and it’s a sense of accomplishment that you can’t take away. The bond that you get is indescribable. We’ll forever remember this.”
Tustin Police Officer Bonnie Breeze smiles in celebration as her co-riders take her photo at the Westminster Police Department’s Officer’s Memorial.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
The team from the Westminster Police Department gathers at the Westminster Police Department’s Officer’s Memorial at the end of their 630-mile bike run from Sacramento to Westminster.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
