POLICE WEEK 2015: UNITY TOUR
Ride Along
Take a Tour with PBA members who
tell their stories about putting the
mettle to the pedals
n STORIES BY MITCHELL KRUGEL AND JOSHUA SIGMUND
n PHOTOS BY ED CARATTINI JR.
‘You just learn how to deal with it’
On June 6, 2010, NJ State Police
Trooper Marc Castellano was struck and
killed by a passing vehicle on the side of I195 in Howell. It was a senseless tragedy
suffered while performing a search for a
suspect. Five years later, members of
Howell Township Local 228 continue to
honor Trooper Castellano’s sacrifice by
riding for he who died.
Nearly 20 members of “Team Howell
PD and the Feds” (formerly known as
“Team Howell United”) – consisting of
Local 228 members, Ocean Township
Local 371 member Nick Castellano –
Marc’s brother–Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department Local 314 officers and
Federal Agents Local 121 members – rode
with Chapter 10 Central New Jersey, in the
process raising more than $22,000 for the
Police Unity Tour.
“We honored him today,” declared
Nick Castellano from the National Law
Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall near
where his brother’s name is engraved.
With 300 miles behind him, Nick
described the ride as hot, hilly and difficult. But it was the emotional aspect that
continues to affect him year after year.
“It doesn’t get easier; you just learn how
to deal with it,” he admitted about riding
for his brother. “And especially having
guys from Howell United coming together
for one thing – not just my brother but all
the fallen officers – it really does help.”
Howell Sergeant Joseph Markulic’s fifth
ride felt easier this year.
“It’s for a good cause so the minor
aches just go away,” he said. “The first year
is the most nerve-wracking because you
don’t know what to expect. Even when
people tell you it’s easy, you’re just so
nervous. After that it gets easier and for
what we’re doing it for makes it that much
better.”
Such reflection was understood by
Howell Patrolman John Lopez, who after
20 years on the force finally decided to
check off a bucket list item by riding for
Marc’s fifth anniversary.
“All the guys kept saying how amazing
it is, especially at this moment when you
come into the Memorial,” Lopez
repeated. “Finally, I decided to do it this
year and it was tough, I’m not going to lie.
But once you hit that last blue piece of tarmac at the Memorial, and you hear all the
applause and the cheers from the
families, it takes your breath away and
almost brings a tear to your eye.” d
‘It was a pleasure taking on this journey’
When Local 53
member Kevin Ortiz
– one of the six
Montclair cops who
participated in the
Unity Tour –
returned home from
D.C., the first time
rider captured his
feelings in a text
message he sent to
his team:
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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