[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 131 (Wednesday, August 2, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S4756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING LIEUTENANT AARON ALLAN
Mr. DONNELLY. Today I wish to recognize and honor the extraordinary
service and sacrifice of Lt. Aaron Allan of the Southport Police
Department. Dedication, loyalty, and compassion for those in need were
the qualities that defined Lt. Allan's life.
Lt. Aaron Allan was a 6-year veteran with the Southport Police
Department, who began his career in law enforcement in 2001. A kind and
caring person, Lt. Allan was a family man who devoted his life to
serving his community. Lt. Allan earned the nickname ``Teddy Bear''
because of his kind heart and willingness to help anyone in need.
Lt. Allan had dreamed of being a police officer since he was 5 years
old. Before he joined the Southport Police Department in 2011 as a
volunteer officer, he previously worked as an officer at the Indiana
School for the Deaf and for Franklin Township Schools. In 2015, he was
named Southport Police Department's ``Officer of the Year,'' after
saving two lives. Among his efforts, he performed CPR to save a man at
the Indiana State Fairgrounds before backup officers arrived with a
defibrillator. In recognition of his work, he became the only full-time
paid officer in an all-volunteer force of reserve officers. He was a
devout volunteer, leader, and role model in Southport, who believed in
community policing and prided himself on stopping to talk with
residents and getting to know them. Lt. Allan made a difference in the
community and always put the safety and well-being of his fellow
citizens first. When he encountered a family whose car would not start
and the husband had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and the wife
cared for her husband and young daughter, Allan went to an auto parts
store and bought the family a new car battery with his own money. It
went beyond that. He participated in ``Shop with a Deputy,''
volunteering to take underprivileged children Christmas shopping. He
also excelled responding to difficult calls, whether a citizen had
overdosed and needed Narcan or he encountered a drunk driver. He
enriched and touched so many lives through his service, and he made the
ultimate sacrifice while responding to fellow citizens in need.
On Thursday, July 27, 2017, Lt. Allan was doing his job, responding
to an incident involving an overturned vehicle in Southport, when he
was shot. Hours before Lt. Allan was killed, he walked his 5-year-old
son, Aaron, Jr., to the bus for his first day of kindergarten. He put
his life on the line so that Hoosiers could have the chance to live in
peace and safety, and we are eternally grateful. He died doing what he
loved, and his legacy will live on.
Lt. Allan was a devoted citizen, son, husband, father, and friend,
who loved his children and his fellow brothers and sisters in blue. He
loved his job as a Southport Police Officer, and no amount of gratitude
can repay Lt. Allan or his loved ones for his sacrifice.
Lt. Allan is survived and deeply missed by his wife, Stacy, their two
sons, his fellow officers in Southport, and citizens across Indiana.
Let us strive to remember and emulate the shining example Lt. Allan set
for us, and honor his selfless commitment to serving his fellow
citizens. May God welcome Lt. Allan home and give comfort to his family
and friends.
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