Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Im Looking for sponsors for this charity bike ride. The details are below. I would like to blow the other officers riding out of the water, as far as the amount of money raised. Even $1 helps out! I will be attempting to ride 100 miles for the bike a thon.

In 1991, police officer Jonathan Russell Long was forced to retire from the Akron Police Department on a disability after being involved in a high speed pursuit accident. Today, Russ remains a part of the police department family.

He is still so much a part of our department that an award is given in his name. One officer a year is voted on by their peers and selected as the Russ Long Police Officer of the Year.

In 2008, police officer Josh Miktarian of the Twinsburg police department K-9 unit was killed while making a traffic stop. Josh left behind a wife, Holly, and new born daughter, Thea. Today, Josh remains an important part of both Twinsburg police and K-9 units around the area.

On September 12th, we are having our 3rd Annual Russ Long Bike-a-thon. Russ and Josh were very health conscious and physically active officers. In honor of Russ and Josh, I will ride my bicycle in the event.

We are asking for donations toward this fundraising bicycle ride involving area police officers. We hope to have 20 police officers in the ride this year. We expect officers to solicit financial support from their family, friends, and local businesses.

I would like to ask you to sponsor me for $10 or $20 or an amount of your choosing. If you are willing to sponsor me, please make checks payable to 2009 Russ Long Bike-a-thon. Of course, cash is also acceptable. Donations can be mailed to (before September 12, 2009):

Twinsburg Police Department
c/o Ptl. Fidoe #765
10075 Ravenna Road
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087 .

Also, if you know of a company that would sponsor me, for a $100 donation we will list them as a sponsor and they will be on a list in a newsletter that will go out to every police agency in Summit County after the event. That is at least 2000 police officers!

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you for your support,


Officer Dan Fidoe #765
Twinsburg Police Department
Bike-a-thon Rider

Told By Russ Long's Partner:

A quick history: In 1991, Russ Long and I were partners working in the Goodyear Heights section of Akron. An hour or so into our shift, we made a traffic stop on a suspicious person on a bicycle. During the stop, a black Mustang pulled up to a nearby four way stop, revved his engine several times, and peeled out through the intersection. Some witnesses said he was looking in our direction almost trying to challenge us. As a young officer, I unwisely took the bait and went after him. Not that it was unwise to go after him but it was unwise not to realize my limitations. We pursued and called for assistance. At Hazel St and Wellington St, I failed to negotiate an 'S' turn and our cruiser spun sideways, jumped a curb, and hit a telephone pole with the passenger side of the cruiser. The impact was very close to the B pillar so it was nearly in the middle. The cruiser literally wrapped around the pole until there was less than 24 inches between the driver side door and the passenger door. Russ, as the passenger, ended up in my lap. It took nearly an hour for the fire department to get us out of the cruiser and into an EMS unit. I have no memory whatsoever of the event but this is what I have been told by other officers.

I was in the hospital for a couple weeks, mainly with 10 multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung, but was able to return to work three months later.

Russ was not so lucky. He suffered a crushed pelvis and a severe head injury. His pelvis was fracture so bad that when EMS lifted him by the belt loops, near both hips, to remove him from the cruiser, both their hands and both his hips touched one another. His head injury was too traumatic to overcome. Even after months of intense therapy between Edwin Shaw and a specialty hospital near Pittsburgh the doctors said they did not think Russ would ever walk or talk again.

Russ was my field training officer, partner after probation, and was to be the best man in my wedding. Corny as it may sound, my first born son is named after him. Russ' full name is Jonathon Russell Long and my son is Chase Jonathon Russell Webb.

In 1992, a golf outing was started in his honor. Every year since, a golf outing is held and one Akron officer is selected as the Russ Long Officer of the Year.

Two things inspired me a hold a bike-a-thon. One, I have never been a golfer and even though I helped, some, with the outings, I always wanted to do something else for Russ. Two, golf outings became so popular that one can literally golf in one every week if the desire was there. APD alone has at least the Russ Long outing, the FOP outing, the Four Angels outing, and three golf leagues. People were being inundated with requests for sponsorships for golf outings.

In 2007, I started the bike-a-thon and rode during the golf outing. I collected monies from other police officers and a few friends that year. I rode 77 miles and collected around $1500. I was extremely happy with both totals especially considering I did not get the idea until six days before the outing!

In 2008, I rode two weeks before the outing (to lessen the burden with sponsors) and recruited 13 other APD officers to ride too. I added Josh to the ride last year simply because his death was so near to us and he meant so much to policing. Even without ever having meet him or hearing of him, his funeral told me everything I need to know about him.

We rode a loop in Merriman Valley to keep the distance manageable and to allow the varying work shifts to participate. Our loop is basically Riverview to Rt 303 to Akron-Peninsula to Merriman to Riverview. Counting a few criss-crosses on the route, the distance is 19.9 miles and surprisingly flat. We rode over 500 total miles and collected nearly $5500 last year. I was very fortunate and was able to ride 100 miles last year. Of the money collected, $2000 went to Russ, $2000 went to Josh, and $1000 went to Russ' youngest daughter, Jessica, for college expenses. The remainder stayed in the account to help offset the minimal costs of the ride and to help start the ride this year.

In 2009, we are riding a month after the golf outing to lessen the burden even more. Plus, riding well after the golf outing ensures we are not soliciting from a sponsor that chooses us over the golf outing. I still want the golf outing to be as successful as possible.

This year, I envision having 25 riders with at least one officer from every bordering police agency and several more from within the county. So far, we have 20 officers from 6 different departments riding. We have Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Springfield (2), Stow, Twinsburg, and the University of Akron (2). At least three officers are attempting to ride the full 100 miles; me, Jason Sams (APD) and Steve Guldeman (Falls).

With 25 riders, I am hoping to surpass our monetary total of last year without a problem. I am reaching for $10,000. If every rider collects the requested $300 and we have a couple go over that amount, we will have no problem. We are fortunate that we have lost no more officers from the area so this year the funds will again be split between Russ and Josh.

Russ and Josh have a few things in common; they were both highly respected by their peers, they were both police officers about 7 years, they were both athletic, and they both had newborn daughters under 1 year old.