September 9, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 143 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page S5366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING DAYTON, OHIO, POLICE OFFICERS

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, today six police officers from the Dayton 
Police Department were awarded our Nation's highest honor for law 
enforcement. These were the six individuals who stood tall at 1 a.m. on 
August 4, in Dayton, OH, standing up to a shooter, engaging him within 
30 seconds of the tragedy beginning. Nine people had already died. 
Another 27 were injured. By standing up to him and doing it so quickly 
and responding so effectively, they saved so many lives.
  They put their lives in danger because they were standing between the 
shooter and innocent civilians who were out that evening, having a 
celebration, enjoying themselves, not imagining this horror could be 
committed. These six individuals were well trained. As Chief Rick Biehl 
of the Dayton Police Department has told me--and he is a friend of 
mine--the training worked, and he is right. It was more than just 
training. It was instinct. It was heart. It was their willingness to 
step up as soon as they saw the danger and run into the danger, 
literally.
  President Trump today awarded the highest honor to these individuals. 
When he did so, he said: ``The light from these intrepid souls defies 
the darkness and confronted the most sinister danger.''
  Well said.
  Sergeant William Knight and Officers Vincent Carter, David Denlinger, 
Ryan Nabel, Brian Rolfes, and Jeremy Campbell deserve the gratitude of 
all of us for stepping into the breach.
  Tonight I will have the opportunity to be with them on this floor. 
They are going to come see the world's greatest deliberative body. I 
know that everyone in the Senate joins me in expressing our gratitude 
to them for the work they do every single day to protect all of us and 
for their extraordinary bravery that horrible night. We thank them, and 
we say God bless them for what they do.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.

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