PEORIA, Ariz. —
A longtime Peoria police officer died last week after his motorcycle crashed at Liberty High school.
Officer Jason Judd was a 21-year veteran of the Peoria Police Department.
The Peoria Police Officers Association hosted the event at a Chick-Fil-A off 83rd avenue in Peoria. All donations go to the family of Officer Jason Judd.
"Officer Judd was an amazing officer. but at the same time a really funny guy," Officer David Barela, president of Peoria Police Officers Association Charities, said.
The 52-year-old motorcycle officer’s life came to a sudden end after his motorcycle came out from under him sending him crashing into a wall. The crash happened shortly after he had just demonstrated his bike for a youth citizen police academy at Liberty High -- something he had done many times before.
“It’s still a little raw right now. as you can tell. It doesn’t even feel real yet. It will. We’ll get through it. It’s just hard,” said Barela.
Today — motorcycles were lined up as a show of respect for Officer Judd, a highly-skilled motorcycle officer who had trained other officers in the craft across the valley. And anyone in the area was welcome to donate. Even the Chick-Fil-A promised to give a portion of its food sales to the family.
One man said he gave because “It’s just a tragic event. I’m a father with several kids myself, so I know how that must feel,” he said.
And another woman said, “Community, unity...supportive of what they do every day because they risk their lives.”
It remains unclear what caused his motorcycle to come out from under him. The Glendale Police Department is investigating.