[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 23, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H2658-H2659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PEACE OFFICER DEATHS IN HARRIS COUNTY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to 
talk about recent events in my hometown of Houston. On Tuesday, May 22, 
while we were in session, the law enforcement community suffered 
several tragedies.
  First, during routine investigation of a dispute over damage to a car 
between a brother and sister, Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Joseph 
Dennis was killed. Deputy Dennis, while responding to the complaint, 
was informed that the brother had just driven through the area. He 
proceeded to pursue the young man, and, in the process of apprehending 
him, was shot while attempting to handcuff the assailant.
  The suspect fled the scene, but was tracked down later in the evening 
and arrested with the murder weapon, the deputy's weapon, and the 
handcuffs still in place on his left wrist.
  Later that evening, Houston Police Officers Albert Vasquez and 
Enrique Duharte-Tur, two of several officers working off-duty jobs as 
security guards at an apartment complex, were shot while apprehending 
five suspects in drug-related charges.
  Officer Vasquez was killed instantly while Officer Duharte-Tur 
remains hospitalized in critical condition. The suspect in this killing 
was also wounded and apprehended at the scene.
  Additionally, last Sunday, May 19, HPD Officer Carlton Jones was 
killed when his vehicle flipped over while on a routine patrol in my 
congressional district.
  These deaths are in addition to the loss of Harris County Deputies 
Oscar Hill, J. C. Risley, and Barret Hill, all of whom were killed in 
separate incidents in the line of duty over the last 11 months in 
Harris County.
  Harris County, where Houston is located, is leading the Nation in the 
grim category of peace officers killed according to the National Law 
Enforcement Officers' Fund.
  This recent spate of fatalities comes a week after Congress 
highlighted the dangers that the men and women of law enforcement face 
every day with National Police Officers' Week and National Peace 
Officers' Memorial Day. It serves as a reminder of the bravery and 
dedication of those who put their lives on the line to protect our 
families, our homes, and our communities.
  Peace officers and their families know better than anyone the perils 
and risks involved in their job. Yet every day, they put on a badge and 
make our Nation a safer place.
  While we should never forget these officers, we also need to remember 
their spouses, their children and friends who miss them dearly. Our 
hearts go out to those survivors who are trying to cope with saying 
good-bye to a loved one. We are indebted to the survivors for the 
courage of these officers, and we share their grief and offer kind 
words knowing that it is a poor substitute for their loss.

[[Page H2659]]

  Every day, ordinary men and women make an extraordinary commitment 
when they put on a badge that symbolizes the oath they take to protect 
and serve. The badge also makes them a target. Every day, they leave 
their families behind not knowing if they will come home tonight.
  Madam Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of 
H.R. 94, the Law Enforcement Officers' Flag Memorial Act of 2001. This 
legislation seeks to honor slain law enforcement officers by providing 
their families a Capitol-flown U.S. flag.
  In the meantime, Congress should continue to make sure that we keep 
our commitment to the law enforcement community by providing funding 
for more officers, better equipment, and advanced training. It not only 
saves the lives of officers, but it makes our families, our homes, and 
our neighborhoods a safer place.

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