North Stafford, Va. –– Deputy Jason Hierwarter is riding his bicycle to Washington today in memory of Gary Chapin.
Chapin was a jail guard in Pennsylavania who was killed by an inmate because he did not have a sharpened pencil for the inmate to use, said Hierwarter, a Stafford County Sheriff’s deputy.
Hierwater and 400 others were riding north from Georgia to the Pentagon as part of Law Enforcement United to meet the families of fallen police officers for National Police Week.
“It’s important that we let [families] know they are not alone. They may not have their loved ones, but they have a huge network of law enforcement officers who help them pick up the pieces and help them move on with their lives,” said Hierwarter.
This is his third year participating in the memorial ride, which began its final leg on Tuesday in Chesapeake. From there, riders rode to the Richmond International Airport and then to North Stafford where they spent Wednesday night to rest up for their final ride Thursday morning.
In addition to Law Enforcement United, a second group of bicycle riders, The Police Unity Ride, also passed through the Potomac Communities this morning.
After crossing into Prince William County, the 350 riders in that group stopped at the Dumfries-Triangle Fire Department for a brief rest before heading north on Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1).
They, too, would rendezvous with friends and families of fallen law enforcement officers Thursday at the Pentagon.
Both bicycle rides come prior to National Police Officer’s Week, celebrated this year between May 15 and May 21.
