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SALT LAKE CITY — At a recent national police motorcycle competition, an officer from Salt Lake City was among the top honorees.
Officers Jaron Harker and Scott Smith represented the Salt Lake City Police Department for the first time at the Capital of Texas Police Motorcycle Chute Out at the end of May. Eighty-five motorcycle cops from eight states participated in a variety of skills tests as part of the charity event, which raised $20,000 last year, according to SLCPD.
"During our practice days we noticed some of the other top riders paying special attention to our practice runs," Harker said in a statement. "They later approached us and said we both looked really fast and appeared to be their most difficult competition."
Harker was awarded the second place Mr. Rodeo title, which is given based on overall performance in various individual events. Additionally, he took second place in the slow race and third place in the expert class.
Both SLCPD officers participated in the metric division on their BMW 1200 RTs, completing the Leonard Reed Memorial ride among other events. SLCPD said the ride was named after a dance and basketball-loving Texas motorcycle officer who died in an accident.
"The memorial course was set up to look like the initials L.R., which officers ride through, then navigate several other obstacles before retrieving a ball on our motorcycles to make a basket, then performing the 'moon walk' over the finish line," Harker said. "Tossing in a dance and shooting a basket was challenging."
The Salt Lake City Police Department Motorcycle Squad will participate in the Days of ‘47 parade.
Courtesy of the Salt Lake City Police Department
