BELTON, Mo. — Kansas City, Kansas police Capt. Dave Melton loved motorcycles.
His son, also named David, is carrying on that passion and will have a way to remember his father every time he hits the road.
Hellraisers Fabrication & Cycles in Belton surprised David on Wednesday with a gift he’ll never forget.
“Let's just say we have your dad's bike,” Hellraisers owner, “Kickstand,” announced.
The shop restored Melton’s bike.
David thought he was there for a memorial reveal and had no clue.
“This is the bike he's always wanted, so it's basically a tribute to him in that way already, but even more with everything that's been done to it,” David said, a huge smile on his face.
Melton was killed in the line of duty two years ago, and the community is still honoring him.
Hellraisers built a special memorial out of chrome piping, complete with his picture and the badge he wore every day.
They added some meaningful touches to the late captain’s motorcycle. They spray-painted his badge and badge number on a fresh coat of blue paint. Also inscribed are two sayings he once said: “To the moon and back” and “my little man.”
“To be able to put that on there in a way that Davie will see that when he's out riding the bike means a lot to us, hopefully as much as it is to him,” Kickstand and his wife, Zippy, said.
“I love that. I love the 'little man' part the most but this, he said that every night,” David said, pointing to the words “to the moon and back.”
It was Sgt. Jason Allen, Captain Melton’s best friend for 25 years, who quietly put this whole surprise together.
“He would've absolutely loved that. He loved motorcycles and he would love that his son had a passion for it, but he'd have been worried. He was a worrier, so he would've definitely worried about his son being on it, but he's going to do fine,” Allen said.
Allen said the feeling is bittersweet because he used to borrow Melton’s motorcycle when he needed to take a ride.
“As much as I wanted his son to have it, I wish he was still here,” said Allen.
David said this gesture really shows how people care about his dad and for law enforcement.
"He’d probably be speechless," David said.
