Slain Tarpon Springs Officer Remembered in Washington, D.C.

As law enforcement officers from across the country converge on Washington, D.C., to mark National Police Week, the Tampa Bay area is well represented.

Officers from all over the region hit the road to pay a visit to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. While some rode in cars, others took bikes.

Pasco County Deputy Matthew Hutton was one of the many participants in this year’s Police Unity Tour. Hutton rode in honor of slain Tarpon Springs Police Officer Charles Kondek; a photo of the officer affixed to the deputy’s bicycle.

He and fellow officers from all over the country left Portsmouth, Va., on Sunday to take part in the three-day ride that covered more than 250 miles. Riders arrived at the national memorial Tuesday.

“Dep. Hutton is the only rider from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office this year, but his team raised $3,000, which benefits the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund,” the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office announced on its Facebook page.

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Other local agencies who fielded riders this year included the Tampa, Temple Terrace, Clearwater and Plant City police departments, among others.

As Hutton pedaled in Kondek’s honor, the slain officer’s family and members of the Clearwater and Tarpon Springs police departments were met by U.S. Rep. David Jolly in Washington. Jolly provided them a tour of the U.S. Capitol building, Tarpon Springs Police noted on Facebook.

National Police Week got its start in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy named May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Each year during the weeklong observance, the country’s fallen officers are honored.

This year, 273 law enforcement officers’ names are being added to the memorial. A full listing of names is available online courtesy of the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.

Florida has nine names on the roll call this year, including Officer Kondek, who was killed in the line of duty last December.

Money raised by the Police Unity Tour benefits a restoration project for the memorial, the ride’s website states.

Photos courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Tarpon Springs Police Department

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