MCALESTER, Okla. — A mobile memorial honoring fallen officers who died in the line of duty across the country made a special stop in McAlester.
The End of Watch Ride allows family, friends and fellow officers to never forget the fallen.
FOX23 attended the emotional event on Wednesday afternoon.
“Very emotional to see the motorcycles, the police cars, escorting the trailer in the memorial coming in and parking. All of the family and friends of the family here watching. It's just very emotional,” said Detective Lt. Kirk Johnston with McAlester Police who was taking in the memorial filled with the faces of 259 fallen officers killed in the line of duty over the last two years.
Two of them he worked with, Patrol Officer Danny Kelley who died from COVID-19 in January 2022 and Officer Joseph Barlow who in 2023 was escorting a fallen captain when he was hit head on during the procession by an undocumented driver.
“It’s very important so we don't forget. So we don't forget our brothers and sisters in law enforcement, we don't forget the families of our fallen brothers and sisters. It allows us to all come together and honor those that have fallen in the line of duty,” Johnston said.
The founder of the End of Watch, a former deputy sheriff, explained why he started these rides saying, "I wanted 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."
“We are very close with the families of those who have fallen and we have ongoing events and get together's where we do meet with the families. We have local memorials for the officers so it's very important to have this for us,” Johnston said.
The stop in McAlester marks day 61 of this year's 73-day-long End of Watch Ride.
They'll be visiting 234 departments across the country before they're done, making three or more stops a day and hopefully leaving everyone with the same thought.
“Don't forget the officers that are in your communities that are serving and to honor those that have fallen,” Johnston said.
The families of the two fallen McAlester officers are grateful to be part of this memorial.
FOX23 also spoke to Shelley Kelley whose husband, Danny Kelley, was remembered during Wednesday’s memorial.
“When you've lost a loved one, of course your biggest fear is that they're going to be forgotten. That after the funeral is over, after the fundraisers are done, they're just another headstone in the cemetery,” Shelley said.
The End of Watch Ride reminded Shelley that her husband was much more.
“A memorial like this proves that they're not. That they did have an impact on their community and on their country. So, seeing his picture featured on something like this helps me to know that he's not forgotten,” Shelley said. “He was a patrolman for the McAlester Police Department for 13 years. Prior to that, he worked for the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office for ten years. He loved his job, he loved teaching others.”
The End of Watch Ride is headed to central Oklahoma on Thursday, but it will be at the Osage County Sheriff's Office in Pawhuska on Friday at noon if you would like to see it in person.
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