[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING OKALOOSA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ANTHONY FORGIONE

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 23, 2008

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States 
Congress, I rise today in recognition of Deputy Anthony Forgione of the 
Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office, who was slain in the line of duty on 
July 22nd. My deepest condolences go out to Deputy Forgione's family 
and friends as they mourn his untimely loss.
  Deputy Forgione, a former Fort Walton Beach Police officer, was just 
two days shy of his three-year anniversary with the Okaloosa county 
Sheriff's office. He was killed when he and two other deputies, all 
members of the Special Response Team, went into a home to apprehend a 
suspect who had walked out of a mental health evaluation. The suspect 
fired at the team with a shotgun, fatally wounding Deputy Forgione. He 
was only 33 years old and is survived by his wife and two daughters, 
ages 5 and 10. Deputy Forgione's death marks the first time in the 
history of the Sheriff's Department a deputy was killed in the line of 
duty and has shocked a community proud of that history. The funeral 
service for Anthony Forgione is set for 2:00 p.m. on July 26th at the 
Niceville Assembly of God in Niceville, FL.
  The Northwest Florida Daily News reported that when summarizing what 
happened during yesterday's early morning events and the manner in 
which his deputies responded to the incident, Okaloosa County Sheriff 
Charlie Morris said, ``Sometimes, it just goes wrong. Sometimes in 
doing our job, we lose people. They did their job well this morning, 
and they did it well. It's just gut-wrenching.'' When speaking of 
Deputy Forgione, specifically, he stated, ``He was a professional, a 
true professional and he loved his SRT team.''
  As Sheriff Morris and the rest of the local law enforcement community 
deal with the loss of one of `their own', he said, ``It just gets in 
the deepest part of your stomach and turns it upside down''. As a 
former Deputy Sheriff myself, I can attest to the pain the whole 
department is feeling at this time and my heart goes out to them.
  Madam Speaker, the communities of Okaloosa County have reason to be 
proud of Deputy Forgione and I am humbled to have the honor of 
representing those people. Vicki and I will keep Anthony's entire 
family, especially his wife, Jessica and his young daughters, in our 
thoughts and prayers. I hope all the people of Northwest Florida and 
our Nation do the same. On behalf of the United States Congress, I am 
proud to recognize the unheralded bravery of Deputy Anthony Forgione 
and wish to honor his exemplary service to the Okaloosa County 
community. May God bless Deputy Forgione and all those who serve in law 
enforcement to protect our communities.

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