Detroit Area Harley-Davidson Dealer Honors Fallen State Troopers
Hundreds gather at local Harley dealership to ride in memory of Michigan State Police troopers killed in the line of duty.
Police work is one of the toughest jobs around, as any episode of Cops, The First 48, and Live PD has demonstrated over the years and decades. State police take it up a level by handling duties like protecting the governor of their state, work complex criminal investigations, and watch over the highways and byways in their cruisers and motorcycles.
Like all police work, though, there is always the possibility of being killed while in the line of duty. Such was the case for two Michigan State Police troopers, whose lives were honored early this month with a motorcycle ride in the Detroit suburb of Taylor, according to Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV.
Hosted by Motown Harley-Davidson, the third annual Trooper Chad Wolf Memorial Ride began and ended at the dealership, following an escorted route taking approximately an hour and a half. Proceeds from participating riders and passengers were donated to the fiancé of MSP Motor Trooper Timothy O’Neill, who lost his life in September of 2017. The ride is named in honor of MSP Motor Trooper Chad Wolf, who fell in the line of duty in 2015.
“We’re serving a member who is fallen so it means the world,” said MSP Trooper Herman Brown. “Especially with such a nice day you can’t– if you’ve got a motorcycle, you’ve got to be here for this.”
MSP Sergeant Steven Borello said he worked with both O’Neill and Chad Wolf “for a number of years” at the Metro South Post in Taylor, working every day on the road together.
“Today’s biggest event is a camaraderie,” Borello said. “And law enforcement is a very big, close-knit family. When you throw an event like this together, you put all the motorcycles together.”
“I’ve got 25 years in the department,” added Brown, “so to see one of our young fallen, it’s really tough. So this is a way we can bring back some memories have some good times. And raise money for a good cause.”
