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Participants with the 9463 Foundation for Florida’s Fallen Officers Memorial Ride stopped at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office headquarters today to remember OCSO fallen hero Deputy Bill Myers and to honor his family. The State Ride is an annual, week long motorcycle ride that involves visiting every Florida law enforcement agency that lost an officer during the previous year. In 2015, Deputy Myers and Ocala Police Officer Jared Forsyth were killed in the line of duty.
The mission of the “9463 Foundation for Florida’s Fallen Officers” is to remember fallen heroes, educate the public, and support and assist the families who have lost loved ones while they were serving our communities. This year’s ride began in Fort Pierce on March 18th and is traveling to multiple Florida cities, including Titusville, Ocala, Shalimar, and Tampa, before ending March 25th. The foundation was started in 2008 in memory of Sgt. Chris Reyka of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Reyka was shot and killed by assailants who have yet to be identified. 9643 was Sgt. Reyka’s badge number.
At today’s event, Foundation member Brian Donnelly and OCSO Sheriff Larry Ashley thanked all the participants for their efforts to make sure Deputy Myers and other officers killed in the line of duty are honored for their sacrifices. The riders, who are also motivated by a desire to honor the officers’ loved ones, presented a handmade quilt to the family of Deputy Myers, along with a special memorial painting.
Representatives of several local chapters of Florida’s Blue Knights Motorcycle Law Enforcement Club were on hand for today’s event.
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