End of Watch Ride to Remember rolls through Ohio County July 23

A group dedicated to recognizing and honoring first responders who have died or been gravely injured in the line of duty will roll into Ohio County on July 23.

The Beyond the Call of Duty “End of Watch Ride to Remember” is scheduled to arrive in Ohio County on Tuesday, July 23 at 12:30 p.m. outside the courthouse.

The End of Watch Ride to Remember, a group of motorcycle riders from the state of Washington escorting a 40-foot trailer across the country, travels the country honoring fallen officers from previous years.

In 2024, EOW will be honoring 259 fallen officers killed in the line of duty in 2022 and 2023 at 234 different departments – a 22,500-mile 73-day trek they began June 1.

Ohio County residents may recognize a familiar photo on the 2022 side of the memorial, Deputy Sheriff Jerry Critchelow, who died in April 2022.

Critchelow, who served as the school resource officer at Ohio County High School, died five days after suffering a heart attack while directing traffic on Highway 231 in front of the school.

Founder, Jagrut Shah, a former deputy sheriff, said they want to show departments and their families who have lost partners and friends that they are not alone.

“I want to bridge this gap that we have and give back to the departments and let the surviving officers and their families know that their loss has not been forgotten.”

The organization’s event name is based on an officer’s “End of Watch.” An End of Watch Call or Last Radio Call is a ceremony in which a police dispatcher issues a final call to a fallen officer over the radio, followed by silence. All officers in that department hear the call and observe the silence, remembering their fallen brother or sister. Beyond the Call of Duty is 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.

The organization is on a mission to pay its respects to each of the fallen officers and assist the families of the fallen however they can.

“A peaceful community is a prosperous community and we owe a debt of gratitude to those officers who make it possible for us to live in a peaceful and free society,” Shah said.

Over the past four years, through generous donations from people all across the country, the organization has been able to assist several departments with memorials to honor their fallen, purchased a K9 for a department and donated two Harley Davidson motorcycles for two worthy departments.

In addition, Beyond the Call of Duty has donated funds to families so that they could have a Christmas, sponsored families to attend events honoring their fallen officers and provided scholarships. The organization’s support of each family is based on their specific situation and need. Their desire is to take the worry and stress off of the family so they can focus on healing and putting their lives back together.

To find out more, see all of the cities the End of Watch Ride will be visiting this year, or to find out how you can join the ride or donate visit www.endofwatchride.com.