[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 67 (Thursday, May 6, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING ALEJANDRO VALADEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 2010

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Alejandro 
Valadez, who honorably served the City of Chicago as a member of the 
Chicago Police Department for 3 years before his untimely death on June 
1, 2009.
  At just 27 years of age, Officer Valadez maintained a strong 
reputation for outstanding performance and professionalism on the job. 
Within his three short years of serving the Chicago Police Department 
he was awarded a department commendation and 22 honorable mentions.
  A South Side Chicago native, Officer Valadez lived his life with 
honesty, integrity, and courage never wavering from the task at hand. 
Alejandro was known to love his job and gladly served the Chicago 
police force alongside his brother, sister, and expectant girlfriend.
  On June 1, 2009, Officer Valadez made the ultimate sacrifice while 
protecting the residents of the Englewood community in Chicago. Shortly 
after midnight, he and his partner were questioning several residents 
when a vehicle drove up to them and opened fire. Bullets struck Valadez 
once in the leg and once in the head. He was later rushed to John H. 
Stroger Jr. Hospital where he died the next morning.
  I rise today, representing with the City of Chicago, to express my 
deepest gratitude and sympathy to Officer Valadez's family for his 
dedication and courageous commitment to keeping our communities safe. 
Chicago and the United States will forever remember Alejandro Valadez 
for his heroic sacrifice by the addition of his name to the National 
Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC, on May 15, 2010.

                          ____________________