6 San Leandro Police Officers Participate in Unity Ride

SAN LEANDRO, CA - Six members of the San Leandro Police Department will leave on bicycles from Eatontown, New Jersey, Monday to honor and remember other officers who have died while on duty.

Sgt. Troy Young, Lt. Robert McManus, Officer Justin Blankinship, Officer Michelle Woods, Sgt. Jeff Jouanicot and Police Chaplain Sue Kuipers will ride for four days and travel more than 250 miles to Washington, D.C. as part of the Police Unity Tour.

Officers from across the country who are riding in the tour will meet at the National Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial at 2 p.m. Thursday to celebrate in the 25th anniversary of National Police Week.

The week of festivities is meant to honor and remember the more than 21,000 officers who have died in the line duty during the nation's history, according to police.

The six San Leandro Police Department members are riding in memory of three from their own department: Officer Fred Haller, Officer Donald Spingola and Officer Nels "Dan" Niemi.

Active and retired officers and family members of those killed in the line of duty will attend a candlelight vigil on Friday to induct 123 more officers into the memorial. The 123 were killed in 2015, police said.

On average, 146 officers are killed in the line of duty each year.

This year, 35 officers have lost their lives, according to police.

--Bay City News