Tour de Force ride for fallen officers

Titusville, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Hundreds of law enforcement officers cruised out of Titusville Friday morning, trading squad cars for road bikes in the final leg of the 21st annual Tour de Force.

The 270-mile ride from Miami to central Florida raises for the families of fallen officers. 

This year, the ride raised more than $70,000, according to Tour de Force board member and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Kevin O’Brien.

For the first time, the ride ended at the Orlando Eye. It started Monday in Miami.  

O’Brien said the Orlando Police Department increased support this year and organized the high-profile finish line location to honor five officers killed in the line of duty in central Florida in 2017: OPD officer Debra Clayton, Highway Patrol troopers Norm Lewis and William Bishop, and Kissimmee Police Department officers Matthew Baxter and Sam Howard.

“It’s very rewarding to help give back to the survivor families.  The camaraderie is fantastic, especially among the agencies… It’s a really good positive feeling right now,” said Orlando Police Department Lieutenant Cindy Lane, who was Clayton’s commanding officer. 
 
About three hundred riders—including officers and community members—participated in the final leg of the ride.