Dayton Police Department honors fallen detective during ‘Carry the Load’ relay

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

Dayton Police honored one of their own Wednesday after Det. Jorge Del Rio died in the line of duty in 2019.

On Wednesday, Dayton Police and Montgomery County Sheriff deputies joined a group called “Carry the Load” to honor Del Rio.

The non-profit said its goal is to provide an active way to connected people with the sacrifices our military, veterans, first responders and their families make daily.

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So, they biked from Wright State University Police Headquarters to the Dayton National Cemetery.

This leg of the trip started in Minnesota on May 7 and will end 3,800 miles later when the relay reaches Texas on May 29.

Backpacks with names on the back to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. And, about a dozen people rode bikes for 12 miles as a way to pay tribute too.

Maj. Brian Johns with Dayton Police said, “It means a lot in so many aspects. It’s about Jorge. It’s also all about the tombstones that you see here,”

Carry the Load is part of the build up to Memorial Day, remembering the heroes. The ride also falls during National Police Week.

“This time of the year is about remembering those who have allowed us to be free in our country. It’s sombering, but it’s important to us from Dayton Police Department, it’s important to Jorge and his family,” Johns said.

The Del Rio family was not able to attend today’s event. Dayton’s current and former police chiefs were able to attend to the ceremony at Dayton National Cemetery to honor Del Rio.

They said on days like today, their conversation and memories of Del Rio really come to mind.

“Jorge was very pro-military. He was very pro-American. He was born in Mexico and became a U.S. citizen. But I think back to our conversations that we had about the military and our country. He was so proud to be an American, and so proud to be a Dayton police officer. Very proud to be a DEA taskforce officer which he loved probably almost more than being a Dayton cop,” Johns said.

After Dayton, the next stop is Cincinnati as they continue their trek south. The group said – this is away for them to hep raise awareness for what the true meaning of Memorial Day is.