Motorcyclists to Ride in Honor of Fallen Heroes

About 80 motorcyclists from throughout Baltimore County will ride May 8 from Towson to Washington D.C., in honor of fallen law enforcement officers and those who continue to serve.

LawRide 2011 begins at 7 a.m. May 8 at Patriot Plaza in Towson, in front of the Baltimore County Fallen Heroes Memorial at Courthouse Square. It's part of the national event by the same name.

Jerry D'Antoni, director of the Pikesville Police and Community Relations Council, encourages county residents to attend the event, whether they ride or not.

"Anybody who wants to come out, just to see these guys and to participate in the service, can watch them pull out and head to D.C.," he said. " ... It's very moving to see everyone come out to honor all these police officers who died in the line of duty."

Bernice West is chairman for the sendoff event in Towson. She is also director of the PCRC in Precinct 2/Woodlawn.

"It's quite an early morning ... but for children who are interested in motorcycles and police, it will be quite exciting," she said.

It's not too late for riders to decide to come along, she said. "Anyone who is welcome to come (and ride) is welcome to show up."

The Towson gathering and memorial ceremony is sponsored by and led by the Baltimore County Police and Community Relations Councils Inc., which includes the Pikesville and Woodlawn groups, and others from throughout the county.

That morning, D'Antoni and other Pikesville PCRC members will help hand out coffee and donuts to riders. Because it's Mother's Day, women who participate in the ride will get a carnation.

Uniformed motorcycle officers, along with other residents and motorcycle club members who want to ride, will meet at 7 a.m., according to a statement from Baltimore County Police.

Members from two Corvette Clubs will also participate, D'Antoni said. All told, there will be about 80 riders if the showing is the same as last year, he added.

According to the police statement, a brief memorial ceremony will be held before the riders leave at 8:30 a.m. for RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., led by police escort.

At the stadium, riders will mingle with thousands of others from throughout the country until 11 a.m., when they parade through Washington D.C. to the National Law Enforcement Memorial.

There are eight officers from the Baltimore County Police Department whose names are on the national memorial, including Sgt. Bruce A. Prothero.

Prothero was an off-duty Baltimore County police officer when he was killed Feb. 7, 2000, during an armed robbery at J. Brown Jewelers in Pikesville.

He was a married father of five who was working part-time as a security guard. Prothero followed the robbers out of the store, and was shot twice. He died an hour later at a local hospital.

New to the ride this year is a formation called Honorary Riders. Eight riders will represent each of the county's fallen heroes, according to the statement.

Law Ride 2011 began in 1995 by Officer Gary Lyons of the Falls Church (VA) Police Department.

Memorial in Towson May 13

A Baltimore County event will be held at 10 a.m. May 13, at the Patriot Plaza, 401 Bosley Ave., Towson. There, the Baltimore County Police Department will gather to honor officers who died in the line of duty, as well as those who died while serving county residents, according to a statement.

In the history of the department, eight Baltimore County police officers, including Prothero, have died in the line of duty.