A retired police officer from Auburn, Washington has brought his motorcycle tour to Kansas to raise awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.   Jeff Shepard visited the Wichita Police Department and called attention to PTSD issues that have affected police and first responders as well as military personnel.

Shepard began his tour last year and has now expanded it to cover 33 states.   He said he was diagnosed with PTSD after two incidents, one in 2012 when a suspect fired a shotgun at his patrol car.   In 2015, he was injured when someone threw an explosive device at him and his partner, and he was seriously hurt.    Shepard said he realized that riding his motorcycle helped fight the issues with PTSD, so that led to his development of the first Ride 4 Relief last year.

Shepard said his goal is to is to reach out to police departments and highlight their programs to help officers and first responders, and he also wants to create a network that can help officers who are struggling.

Wichita police officer Derek Purcell is a member of the department’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and he said the department works with officers who have been in critical situations to help them cope with stress.

Shepard said his next stops will be in Garden City and Denver as part of his motorcycle tour.