[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S4209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING SERGEANT BRANDON PAUDERT AND OFFICER BILL EVANS
Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that today I honor
two brave policemen from West Memphis, Sergeant Brandon Paudert and
Officer Bill Evans, and pay tribute to their lives and service to their
community.
Sergeant Paudert and Officer Evans lost their lives in the line of
duty doing what they loved most: protecting their community. They were
both part of the West Memphis Police Department's drug interdiction
team, a specialized unit that fought drug trafficking on Arkansas's
highways. They were on the front lines in the war against drugs,
fighting to keep our streets clean and our children safe.
Sergeant Paudert's sense of duty was in his blood--his father, Bob
Paudert, is West Memphis's police chief. Sergeant Paudert's loved ones
described him as a kind, honorable man, devoted to his family and the
force. He married his high school sweetheart, Kim, whom he had dated
since they were just 14 years old, and had three children whom he loved
dearly. He was always there for friends and fellow officers, lifting up
their spirits and lending a hand when one was needed.
Officer Evans shared Sergeant Paudert's call to serve; he was a
fourth-generation law enforcement official, with both his father and
his grandfather serving in the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department.
He was the team's ``maintenance man'' with an ability to fix anything
he encountered, and had a wonderful sense of humor, always able to get
a laugh out of his colleagues and friends. A father of two with a
fiance, those who knew him said Evans lived his life by a simple code:
``Enjoy your life. Love your family. Enjoy your work.''
I join all Arkansans in lifting up the family and friends of Sergeant
Paudert and Officer Evans during this difficult time. In a fitting
tribute, a sign on the fence of the West Memphis High School's football
field says: ``Fallen, so we can stand.'' These two heroes may have
fallen, but we will continue to stand for the values and principles for
which they so selflessly gave their lives.
____________________