Each May, a silent procession of cyclists winds its way to Washington, D.C. It’s a physical and emotional journey to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
Among them this year will be Marathon County District Attorney Kyle Mayo, who rides in memory of Everest Metro Police Detective Jason Weiland and other fallen officers from around the country.
Mayo, along with Wausau Police Officer Matt Grover and Marathon County Sheriff’s Lt. Cory Gladden, will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 7. Two days later, they’ll join thousands of officers from across the country on a multi day ride to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington. The Police Unity Tour marks the start of Police Week in the nation’s capital.
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In a conversation with WPR’s “Morning Edition” host Shereen Siewert, Mayo said the experience of entering the memorial with more than 2,000 other riders is unforgettable.
“Knowing that people rode that far and remembering their loved one, seeing us coming into the memorial, is a moving moment,” Mayo told WPR. “The families and other people who are there for Police Week are lining the walls of the memorial. It’s just emotional. “
This will be Mayo’s sixth time participating in the Police Unity Tour, a tradition that began in 2019 after witnessing the powerful arrival of riders during his first visit to the memorial the year before. At the time, Mayo was in Washington to honor Weiland, who was shot and killed in March 2017 during a shooting spree in the Wausau area.
The ride has since become a deeply personal mission for Mayo, who wears a bracelet bearing Weiland’s name throughout the journey — a tangible reminder of the officer and friend who continues to inspire him. Each year, riders present those bracelets to the families of fallen officers, a gesture Mayo says helps keep their memories alive and underscores a nationwide commitment to never forget.
Beyond remembrance, Mayo hopes the ride serves as a signal to the broader community: Behind every badge is a life worth honoring, and behind every fallen officer is a story that still matters.
The following interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Shereen Siewert: You’ve participated in this memorial ride for several years. Tell me what the first ride was like.
Kyle Mayo: Very emotional. We found out about the ride when we went to Washington, D.C. as a large group to honor Detective Jason Weiland in 2018. We saw the riders coming into the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and it was a very powerful moment for all of us.
I looked at Matt Grover, a police officer standing next to me, and said, “We should do that.” At first, we joked about it, not thinking we really would. I mean, it’s 250 or 275 miles on a bicycle. But we started talking about it, and the next year, in 2019, we began riding. We didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into. No one from this area had done it before. I learned pretty quickly that the east coast is very hilly, especially Baltimore.
But it was an amazing ride. The group of friends we met on the tour are lifelong friends. We’re all there for the same purpose: To honor law enforcement officers that were killed in the line of duty. We’re making sure that they’re never forgotten. Every time I got tired on a hill or didn’t think I’d make it, I looked down at my wrist, where we have our bracelets, and saw Jason’s bracelet. That got me through it.
SS: How are you preparing for this, physically?
KM: That’s a journey as well, especially with Wisconsin’s winters. It’s a nationwide thing, so we talked with officers from all over the country and the world who come for this, and we’re one of the only groups that doesn’t really get on the road before we go out there. If I can get one or two road rides in before we leave, that’s a good thing. But I do have a Peloton and I try to ride almost every day starting at the beginning of the year.
SS: Detective Weiland’s death deeply affected this community. What conversations are you having with your fellow riders as you reflect on your shared memories of him?
KM: The first thing I picture is him laughing at me for doing this. I’m sure he’s looking down and saying, “What are you doing, Kyle?” It’s that laugh, remembering that laugh, and talking about him to other officers about him.
We ride two by two on the road and that means sometimes we’re next to someone from the Baltimore Police Department or from Philadelphia or Florida or somewhere else, and we talk about why we’re riding and the officers we’re riding for. We talk about our memories of them and it helps us get through those tough hills.
SS: What is it about a physical journey like this one, especially something as challenging as a long-distance bike ride, that serves as a meaningful tribute to these officers?
KM: We wear bracelets on our wrists every year for the officers we’re riding for. It’s our way of bringing officers to their new home at the memorial. Their names are engraved on the memorial. And each year, we meet with the families, usually in D.C., and we give them the bracelets we rode with throughout the ride. It’s an emotional time, but it’s just one little thing I can do to make sure those officers are never forgotten.
SS: When you arrive at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, and you’re exhausted from days of riding, what is it like to experience that emotional moment as a group?
KM: It’s amazing. It’s hard. But it also makes the journey worthwhile. The first year that we did it, the last day was raining and cold. We came in shivering. But when you come into the memorial, you’re coming down the road and seeing all these people waving and holding American flags, wanting to high-five you as you go through, it makes it all worth it.
SS: You knew Jason well. How has your own perspective as district attorney been shaped by his death and by hearing stories from survivors and families of fallen officers?
KM: You always think about that when officers are going out on search warrants or you hear sirens. It will never leave my mind. I know that what I do is on the other end of it, but I am just so grateful that we have people in this community who want to protect and serve us and serve in that role. It truly is amazing to me, the law enforcement community that we have here.
SS: What do you hope that your participation in this event communicates to the broader community?
KM: I hope it brings that awareness to our community that Jason will never be forgotten, that other officers from Wisconsin and the U.S. will never be forgotten and that the community supports them.
We have terrific support when we do our fundraisers. The ride raises money for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Since 1997, the ride has donated more than $37 million to the Memorial Officer Fund, so just knowing and letting officers know the community supports them is awesome.
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