Halifax County Sheriff’s Office Deputy M. Kalkbrenner began the 530-mile bicycle ride to Washington, D.C., today, joining officers from Greenville, Raleigh, New Bern, Wilson and Shelby to honor fallen officers.

The trek, called The Road to Hope, will be completed on May 13 for Police Week 2025, Sheriff Tyree Davis said.

Kalkbrenner embarked on his fifth ride for the event, which is sponsored by Law Enforcement United, a nonprofit formed by law enforcement officers to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty and offer financial support to their families.

This year, he is riding in honor of Deputy William McKinley Goodwin, who at the age of 23 was the first Black deputy in the sheriff’s office.

He died on March 2, 1969, when his patrol car was struck by a train at a railroad crossing on Rural Paved Road 1423 near Halifax.

Goodwin was a U.S. Navy veteran who had served with the Halifax County Sheriff's Office for only five months He had previously served with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department for one year. 

He was survived by his expectant wife, parents, three sisters, and a brother. His daughter was born a few months later.

Goodwin is one of five deputies for the sheriff’s office killed in the line of duty.

“Please keep Deputy M. Kalkbrenner, all the other riders, support teams, and the escorts in your prayers as they ride to honor the fallen,” Davis said.