Deputy peddles 250 miles in memory of friend who died in line of duty

For Sgt. Rickie Marlowe Jr., peddling 250 miles from Fort Smith, Va., to Washington, D.C., is a matter of life and death.

“Everyday a police officer goes to work, there are three things he or she must be willing to do: Protect a life, take a life or give your own life,” said Marlowe of his second ride in the three-day Police Unity Tour. “Police officers do this day in and day out 24 hours a day. To be actually able to go and give tribute to the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice is a huge fulfillment to me.”

Themed, “We Ride For Those Who Died,” the tour is aimed at raising awareness about officers who died in the line of duty, as well as their families who deal with the loss of a loved one.

Marlowe rode in memory of St. Charles Parish Deputy Jeff Watson who died in the line of duty in August of 2013. Watson was on a call when he was killed in a four-vehicle wreck in Luling. Watson and Marlowe worked together in Jefferson Parish before joining up again in St. Charles Parish.

“I knew Jeff way longer than St. Charles Parish so he’s always been special to me,” Marlowe said.

Marlowe, 38, is on the Crime Scene Investigation team and a marksman sniper on the Special Response team with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Marlowe also rode for Hattiesburg, Miss. officers Liquori Tate and Benjamin Deen who were gunned down at a traffic stop in May of 2015.

Describing the Unity Tour as “extraordinary,” this is his second year riding with an estimated 200 officers, survivors and family members.

“St. Charles Parish really, really goes above and beyond for the Unity Tour,” he said of the considerable resources dedicated to supporting the event, including security.

Fellow officers also participated or assisted in the tour, including Chief Joseph Cardella, Capt. Joe Ganote, Capt. Drauzin Kinler, Lt. Michael Folse, Lt. Renee Kinler, Sgt. Rickie Marlowe, Sgt. Giovanni Tarullo, Sgt. Lonnie Hamilton, Det. Thomas Plaisance, Corp. Burt Hazeltine, Dep. Thomas Mayville and Dep. Connie Patterson.

Marlowe said the ride takes determination, but it only helps cyclists focus on the power of an event that serves as a fundraiser to beautify the fallen officers memorial in Washington.

“We got absolutely soaking wet. It rained on us the first two days,” he said, adding, there are also several steep hills, including one named “The Widow Maker,” that make the route arduous. “Even with this pain, it’s nothing compared to the lifetime of pain a loved one goes through when they lose a family member in the line of duty. It’s just a small sacrifice what we’re doing for our brother or sister in blue who has made the ultimate sacrifice and their loved ones who will forever hurt.”

The Unity Tour also serves as a reminder of a sacrifice any officer could make any day on the job.

“It’s important to me because I think it’s a conscious decision that you make to go into law enforcement,” he said. “You know what you’re getting yourself into.”

It’s hard when an officer is killed, but he said it’s harder to see the family suffering the loss.

In this year’s ride, Marlowe recounted connecting with Kim Hornsby, who lost her husband and his close friend, both officers, in the line of duty the same week in Texas in 2014.

“What she went through and to still be so strong should be motivational to everybody that hears her story,” he said of a woman who now counsels family members with lost loved ones. “She is an extraordinary person. I have two kids of my own, both a boy and girl. It weighs heavily on the heart for her to go through what she did.”

Being able to meet and talk to people like Hornsby reminds Marlowe how fortunate he’s been in his profession.

“When you put on this gun, anything can happen to you at any given time and date,” he said. “It just makes me be a whole lot more thankful for the small things in life and to value every moment with your family and your kids – and the officer beside you.”