On a beautiful Tuesday afternoon, September 23, 2008, a career criminal stood over the prone body of Philadelphia Police Officer (Highway Patrol) Pat McDonald and executed him. Pointing a semi-automatic 45 caliber handgun at Officer McDonald, the foul scumbag named Giddings fired 14 shots into the officer’s head and torso. Happily for the taxpayers of Pennsylvania, McDonalds’ partner, who was first shot in the leg, shot Giddings 6 times, sending him to hell.

The officers of the Philadelphia Highway Patrol ( https://www.philadelphiahighwaypatrol.com/ ) are some of the best trained and most skillful motorcyclists in the nation. What some people may not realize is that Highway Patrol no longer patrols highways. That job is done to the state police. Now, it’s the job of the highway patrol to police the toughest neighborhoods in the city. The execution of Highway Patrolman Pat Mcdonald went down just eleven days after the city buried another Police Officer. Officer Nazario, 40, died Sept. 5 after her patrol car was rammed by 16 year old man driving a stolen SUV. Since 2006 five officers have been killed in Philly, and we’ve had enough.

Warriors’ Watch is a “Troop-Support” group. The WWR definition of “troops” includes our police, firefighters, and other first responders. To our minds, our first responders are the front line troops in the never ending war against lawlessness and anarchy. And, should the Terror War come to U.S. soil again, it is our first responders who would be the first to put themselves between us and violence. When Warriors’ Watch honors hour troops, we honor all of our troops.

The “Bullets” MC, a police MC, put out the call yesterday. There was to be a candlelight vigil on the street where officer McDonald had been murdered. Warriors’ Watch Rider “Shooter” heard the call and put it to Warriors’ Watch. In a matter of hours riders were gathering. They came from Philadelphia and surrounding counties, Delaware and New Jersey. Before we set out from the final rally point, darkness had fallen on about 250 riders. A ride briefing was held by the VP of the Bullets MC, during which he informed us that the police had received a specific threat – if any cops showed up in that neighborhood that night, there would be “trouble.” “There is nothing stopping someone from firing off a couple shots into the crowd from an upstairs window,” we were warned. No one faltered.

We set out toward the badlands, and when we reached the tiny, dark and brooding street where Officer McDonald and his murderer had died, I was proud to see dozens of blue-uniformed officers lining the sidewalks, waiting for us.

We parked the bikes and they just kept coming and coming and coming. Someone pulled me in front of a TV camera long after I had dismounted, and still the bikes were pouring in to that street.

We grouped together and a solemn ceremony was held. Prayers were said, and we applauded and cheered the uniformed cops who were there. They fought back tears as we shook their hands and hugged them tight. Residents of the street gathered around doorways and peered out of dark windows, and many of the faces were less than friendly, but no shots were fired.

It was decided then that we would not end it here. A beautiful night, 250 riders pumped up, we mounted up and under the protection of the police and the Centurions MC who were pulled for road guard duty, we rode back out to Broad Street and went south. We rode a loop around City Hall, headed back north with the Philadelphia Highway Patrol Headquarters as the destination. The TV news helicopters followed us the whole way, and finally we reached the HQ building, engines gunning, and massed out front. Looking up we saw not only the news choppers but those members of the PHP who were at the building up on the roof, waving down at us happily.

What we did last night, for the most horrible of reasons, was done with the most noble of intentions. The Philadelphia Police are virtually under siege, and we need for them to know that real people, like us bikers, support them and love them and are behind them in their darkest times. Philly police, for what it may be worth, we have your backs.

Here is a good news clip:

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6411399