Boy rides to D.C. on bike to honor fallen officer

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A 9-year-old Indiana boy has reached his goal to honor a fallen IMPD officer.

24 Hour News 8 anchor Karen Hensel has followed young Avi and his father, an IMPD officer, since they left last week. He rode his bike 341 miles to reach the police memorial wall iin Washington, D.C., to honor slain officer David Moore .

Avi said, "It was really cool."

Avi's dad is IMPD Sgt. Doug Forrest. He was Moore's sergeant. Moore was shot and killed after he pulled over a car on a in January. The father/son team rode past the Lincoln Memorial and the White House and then made it to their ultimate goal, the wall where Moore once stood with his own father, Spencer Moore. The police memorial has the names of the nation's fallen officers engraved on it and Moore's name will be added next year.

As he stood at the wall, Avi called Moore's parents.

"We finally made it," Doug Forrest said, "and Jo (David's mother) told me there weren't enough words in the dictionary to describe how proud and happy she was of him and for him to do this in memory of David."

Avi added: "He told me he was really proud of me, and I said, 'Thanks.'"

Avi was met by David's uncle Juan and members of the police memorial wall.

"For me, the memorial is always an emotional experience," Doug Forrest said. "I always break down and cry when I think of them because I miss them when I see their names on there. Avi just knows it's really emotional for his dad, and he pats me on the back and tells me, 'It's OK.'"

And Avi wants to help Moore's parents heal, too.

Avi's request is for Jo and Spencer Moore to "come do this next year, please ride with me next year. Especially you, Spencer! I'm trying to get him on this trip. Especially Spencer!"

Doug Forrest said he has a goal to get more people to ride together next year to the wall, when David Moore's name is added. He said it will be another opportunity for them to draw attention to Moore's memory and raise more money for the foundation.