[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 56 (Wednesday, May 10, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E765-E766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING OFFICER SCOTT SEVERNS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHRIS CHOCOLA

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2006

  Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise with a solemn heart to honor a 
hero. On Friday, April 21, 2006 Cpl. Scott Severns of the South Bend 
Police Department was shot during an attempted robbery. He succumbed to 
his wounds and passed early Sunday morning.
  I have heard it said that at times like these, we should not focus on 
how someone dies, but on how they lived, but how Cpl. Severns died was 
a testament to how he lived. When two would-be robbers approached Cpl. 
Severns and a female companion, brandished a gun, and threatened them, 
Cpl. Severns instinctively stepped in between the gunman and his 
friend. Character like this cannot be taught through a police academy 
course, and it is not issued to every officer after their swearing in. 
This type of valor can only come from an individual with the heart of a 
hero.
  We oftentimes do not take enough time to appreciate the sacrifice 
that law enforcement officers make every single day so that we can live 
in safety. It is easy for us to go about our daily lives without a 
thought about those that stand in between us and those that would try 
to hurt us.
  Cpl. Severns's sacrifices from the moment he first put on his 
uniform, until his tragic, premature end, exemplify the best of 
American law enforcement.

[[Page E766]]

  Mr. Speaker, we would be remiss if we did not take this time to honor 
his service, remember his sacrifice, and mourn his passing.

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