DORAL, Fla. – Four Miami-Dade police officers are lacing up their running shoes and hitting the pavement to honor a fallen colleague.
They’re “Running for Echy” in remembrance of fallen MDPD Detective Cesar “Echy” Echaverry.
The 29-year-old Robbery Intervention Detail detective was shot and killed in August following a confrontation with an armed robbery suspect.
Four of Echaverry’s colleagues in the Robbery Intervention Detail are now training for the Miami Marathon, set to take place Sunday, in Echaverry’s honor.
“Cesar was a regular runner. Us — not so much,” MDPD Detective Justin Heller said. “We decided as a group that what better way to honor his legacy than to sign up for the Miami Marathon, which is something we’ve never done. We’ve never participated in an official race event. But we thought it would be the best way to honor his legacy.”
Heller was serving alongside Echaverry the night he was shot.
“It’s been something positive that we can all do together that honors him,” he said. “You know, it definitely helps us in recovering from experiencing such a traumatic incident.”
The four officers plan to run the half-marathon this year, but hope to work their way up to the full marathon in 2024.