Woodbury Officer On the Road to Remember

Thanks to the cold Minnesota spring, Woodbury police officer and paramedic Tony Ofstead admits he hasn't been on his bicycle as much lately, so the 110-plus miles he will cover during the first leg of the Law Enforcement United Ride will likely be long ones.

"I've been training for Grandma's Marathon, so I've been doing a lot of cardio and running—but not a lot of biking," said Ofstead, who will be part of the Team MN contingent leaving from Chesapeake, Va., on Tuesday, May 10.

On Day 2, the local group will join others on a 75-plus mile course; the final day will cover more than 50 miles, bringing all 250 participating cyclists—representing federal, state and local law enforcement agencies from across the country—into Washington, D.C., as they arrive in unison at the Law Enforcement Memorial, inscribed with the names of more than 18,000 officers lost in the line of duty since 1794.

"Biking into the city is going to be truly emotional as our thoughts will be with the officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice and with their families," said Ofstead, an 11-year veteran of the .

This is the second annual Law Enforcement United (LEU) Ride and the first for Ofstead. This year's ride will honor the 162 law enforcement officers nationwide who lost their lives. Team MN will especially remember two Minnesotans: Mahnomen County Deputy Chris Dewey, who died 18 months after being shot in the abdomen and head, and Maplewood Police Sgt. Joseph Bergeron, who died last May after being ambushed in a St. Paul park.

Although Ofstead knew Bergeron, he is riding on behalf of Deputy Sheriff Samuel Smith, a 23-year old officer from Kansas killed in an auto accident on the way to a domestic disturbance.

"Every rider is assigned an officer. We each carry a flag and wear a wrist band in their memory during the three-day ride," Ofstead said.

Another emotional moment will come for Ofstead when he meets Smith's family on May 14, when the riders and families will gather together. (The families of Dewey and Bergeron will also be in attendance, according to Ofstead.)

"It is an opportunity to share tears and memories about those who have made the ultimate sacrifice," he said.

President Obama will address the group at the Law Enforcement Memorial on Sunday, May 15.

Ofstead says the ride will be memorable in many ways.

"I'm looking forward to the co-misery of the bike ride with my fellow riders, too," he said with a laugh.

In addition to the emotional and supportive nature of the LEU bike ride, event organizers are also raising funds on behalf of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) and the Officer Down Memorial Page.

The first organization sends kids and families to C.O.P.S. summer camp at no charge and gives them the opportunity to connect and have fun together. C.O.P.S. also offers counseling programs, retreats and scholarships for surviving families.

The Officer Down Memorial Page honors every law enforcement officer, since 1792, who has died in the line of duty in the U.S., documenting their names and other information.

Donations benefiting the Team LEU bike ride can still be made online at www.leunited.org. Team MN will also maintain a blog during the ride on its Facebook page—Law Enforcement United Team Minnesota.