[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 154 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2012]]
                IN MEMORIAL OF OFFICER PATRICK McDONALD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ALLYSON Y. SCHWARTZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 25, 2008

  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, Officer 
Patrick McDonald, an 8-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police 
Department and a constituent of the 13th Congressional District, was 
murdered after pursuing a previously convicted felon. The shooter was 
wanted for a recent altercation with the police. The pursuit ended in a 
shootout that also injured 12-year veteran Officer Richard Bowes.
  Officer McDonald, 30, was assigned to the Highway Patrol Division. He 
was known to his colleagues as a ``stand up guy,'' the type of person 
who would ``go out of his way for anybody.'' Another officer called him 
``a great cop.''
  Protecting the public was a McDonald family tradition. His father, 
Captain Larry McDonald, spent 34 years with the Philadelphia Fire 
Department. Families like the McDonalds are the backbone of 
Philadelphia's law enforcement, guardians who are willing to put 
themselves in harm's way for others, some of whom make the ultimate 
sacrifice for the safety of our city. The McDonald family's loss is a 
loss for all of us.
  Officer McDonald grew up in Morrell Park. He graduated from 
Archbishop Ryan High School in 1996 where he played football and 
basketball. The toughness that he exhibited as a cop was developed on 
the football field. Glen Galeone, his coach, said Officer McDonald 
``always gave his all.''
  Officer McDonald dedicated his entire adult life to serving and 
protecting the people of Philadelphia. He worked as a paramedic before 
joining the Philadelphia Police Department in 2000. After he joined the 
force, Officer McDonald constantly worked to better himself by taking 
night and weekend classes at St. Joseph's University where he earned a 
degree in Criminal Justice in 2005. He was a role model for his 
neighbors and his fellow officers.
  Officer McDonald joins Gary Skerski, Chuck Cassidy, Stephen 
Liczbinski, and Isabel Nazario as Philadelphia Police Officers from 
northeast Philadelphia killed in the line of duty since May 2006. The 
loss of these officers saddens and outrages me and my constituents. I 
ask that the House of Representatives extend its condolences to the 
McDonald family and the Philadelphia Police Department for their 
significant loss.

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