By Leah Hodges Riverbend News
The Police Unity Tour began in Tallahassee on Monday, May 10, and concluded on Thursday, May 13, at the American Police Hall of Fame, in Titusville, Fla. The tour is made up of roughly 200 bicycle and motorcycle riders from across the southern region of the United States. The purpose of the ride, which began in 1997, is to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty and to raise funds for maintaining the National Law Enforcement Memorial and the National Law Enforcement Museum, both in Washington,. D.C. Over 870 officers have given their lives while serving and protecting others.
The tour made its way to Monticello by mid morning, which was especially moving for local residents, many of whom remember the killing of Leon County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chris “Tater” Smith, on Nov. 22, 2014. Smith, who was also a former Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy, still has relatives living in Jefferson County.
On that fateful day in November 2014, Smith had been called to a house fire that was intentionally set to lure officers to the scene. Smith was the first to arrive and was ambushed as soon as he exited his vehicle. He was struck twice by .40 caliber bullets and was mortally wounded. Smith was the first officer in Leon County to die in the line of duty in over 100 years.
After stopping for lunch and a ceremony in Greenville, the tour made its way to Madison, where they stopped at the park across from the Madison County Sheriff's Office (MCSO). The group stopped for a brief ceremony to honor the late Steve Agner, who was a MCSO deputy killed in the line of duty on
Wednesday, July 26, 1999. MCSO Sheriff David Harper paid tribute to Agner. “Steve was the ultimate example of service over self,” said Harper. “Steve was a friend and a brother. I was fortunate to see him achieve his goal of becoming a Madison County Deputy Sheriff. Now, he is serving as command staff in Heaven.”
Upon leaving Madison the tour headed to Live Oak along Hwy 90, escorted by a cortege of motorcycles and support vehicles. After stopping for a brief water and snack break at the Suwannee River State Park, the riders continued to make their way to downtown Live Oak. The tour reached the Live Oak Police Department headquarters around 3 p.m., where they were met by Police Chief Keith Davis and Mayor Frank Davis. One of Live Oak's own officers was honored at this stop on this year's tour, Officer Wesley Silas of the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement. Silas was killed March 1, 1994, after being struck by a tractor trailer at the Agricultural inspection station on I-10 near Live Oak.
Mayor Davis honored Officer Silas by declaring Monday, May 10, 2021, as Law Enforcement Day in Suwannee County. Officer Silas has also been honored by having a local street named in his honor, Silas Drive, located near Suwannee Middle School.
The Police Unity Tour began in 1997, as a way to draw awareness to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty and to honor their sacrifices. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, in-the-line-of-duty deaths rose by 96 percent in 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019.
By 2018, the tour had raised a total of over 23 million dollars for the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial. In 2019, the construction of the National Law Enforcement Officers Museum was complete and the doors were open. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ride portion of the tour was canceled in 2020, but the dedicated members of the tour still raised two million dollars for the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial.