Beyond the Call of Duty, an organization that, through its “End of Watch Ride to Remember” event, recognizes police officers – throughout the nation – who died while in the line of duty.
For the past several months, the organization has traveled about 18,300 miles honoring fallen officers throughout the United States.
Diaz, a bright, ambitious, and dedicated Lemoore police officer was killed a year ago when he attempted to intercede in a Hanford domestic dispute.
An End of Watch Call or Last Radio Call is a ceremony in which, after a police officer died in the line of duty or from illness, his fellow officers gather around a police radio, over which a police dispatcher issues one call to the officer, followed by silence.
The spokesman for Saturday’s emotional gathering in Lemoore’s Veterans’ Park, Jagrut Shah, a former Washington State deputy sheriff, told a large gathering there that his organization, in the past year has visited 93 departments, traveling the country by motorcycle honoring police officers who died while in the line of duty.
According to FBI statistics, last year, the United States lost 89 law enforcement officers while serving in the line of duty.
On Saturday, the trip to Lemoore included a welcoming ceremony that included the Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department’s massive American Flag draped over Bush Street as a parade of law enforcement vehicles and dozens of motorcycles made their way to Veterans Park.
“We got to see this beautiful country and see beautiful people,” said Shah, who also delivered the spanking new Harley Davidson, donated by a Spokane, Washington’s Lone Wolf Harley-Davidson dealer Greg Ernst. “We’re blessed and honored to do this,” added Shah.
Alvaro Santos, a longtime officer and currently a lieutenant with the Lemoore Police Department, spoke emotionally while describing the slain officer. “The last two years have been hard on our (police) family,” he said. “I cannot be more proud of our officers and community. We are now closer – and I know we are stronger.”
Chief Michael Kendall concluded the remarks. “When we lost Diaz, we lost a member of the family,” he told the hundred or so participants in Saturday’s event gathered in the park.
Lone Wolf Harley-Davidson, owned by Washington businessman Greg Ernst and his wife Hollie, donated the sleek motorcycle that will eventually be used by a Lemoore Police Officer to patrol the streets of Lemoore.
“Ever since we’ve owned the dealership, we’ve been more and more involved in the community, and the police forces across the country have been huge supporters of Harley Davidson, so we’re blessed to be able to give something back,” said Ernst.
The touring model donated by Lone Wolf Harley-Davidson is valued at about $18,000 to $19,000. “The police model basically comes stripped down, and we build them to the specs of each department, so each one is very customized and unique to each department it goes to,” said Hollie Ernst.
This was the couple's first donation, but they plan to donate again to police departments.