500 Miles to Honor the Fallen

Deputy Eric Hendry of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department had not ridden a bicycle since he was a child, but he trained hard for four months so he could honor fallen colleagues by making a 500-mile journey that ended Wednesday in Santa Ana.

“It was a huge challenge because I didn’t even own a bicycle, but it was the only way to honor my friend,” said Hendry, 33, who rode in memory of Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Riches, shot to death in 1999.

He was one of 45 Orange County law-enforcement officers from various agencies who began the trip from San Francisco on Saturday to honor those killed in the line of duty.

When the cyclists reached Santa Ana about 3:40 p.m., they circled the Plaza of the Flags, then observed a moment of silence at the Orange County Peace Officers Memorial Monument. At a candlelight service later, they placed 45 roses at the base of the monument. A wreath-laying ceremony is set for 11 a.m. today in front of the monument at Civic Center Drive and Flower Street.

“This is absolutely dedicated to the guys on the plaques out there,” Hendry said. “I wanted to raise awareness about the cops who die and the families who are left behind.”

The ceremonies are an annual event for family members and friends of fallen Orange County officers. The bike ride, new this year, raised $45,000 for a survivors fund.

Sheriff’s deputy Timm Morris, 54, rode in memory of Richard Steed, killed in a 1978 ambush in San Clemente. Morris, diagnosed in 1999 with a rare form of bone-marrow cancer, finished the bike trip despite being weakened by chemotherapy.

“It was tough and I was exhausted, but I wanted to do this because I was committed, and I wanted to honor the fallen officers,” Morris said. “My partners who rode with me inspired me, and I didn’t want this disease to stop me.”