[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 15, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7480-S7481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Honoring Tyler Herndon

  Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, I am here today to honor the life of 
Officer Tyler Herndon, a member of the Mount Holly Police Department in 
North Carolina, not far from where I live. He tragically lost his life 
in the line of duty last week, just days before his 26th birthday.

[[Page S7481]]

  Officer Herndon will be laid to rest today, and I want to take a 
moment to honor his life, his service to his community, and speak about 
the noble profession he chose.
  Officer Herndon was responding to a report of a break-in on Friday 
morning, and upon his arrival, he was murdered on the scene. He had 
been a police officer at Mount Holly for less than 2 years. He is 
described by his colleagues on the Mount Holly Police Department as 
``the guy you just couldn't help but like.'' He was active in his 
community, not only as a law enforcement officer but as a volunteer in 
local schools. His goal was to become an FBI officer, and he was just 
approaching the 2 years he needed as a police officer to become 
eligible to apply for the FBI.
  Officer Herndon's life and promising career were senselessly taken 
away. His tragic death is a reminder of the dangers our men and women 
in blue face every single day that they go to work to protect our 
communities.
  In 2020, this year, we have lost 47 police officers who have been 
killed in the line of duty across the United States. Of those, 8 were 
ambushed in premeditated attacks, 2 were victims of an unprovoked 
attack, and 37 officers were killed in the line of duty. These gruesome 
killings are in addition to the hundreds of officers who have been shot 
and injured this year.
  These 47 Americans are not only law enforcement officers--they are 
somebody's parent; they are someone's spouse; they are someone's child. 
That is a point that has unfortunately been neglected by some, 
especially given the shameful effort to not only minimize the work of 
law enforcement but to also demonize it.
  Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to keep us safe 
every single day. Our debates in Congress should not be about whether 
to defund or abolish the police; they should be about how we can 
respect and support law enforcement through greater investments and 
commonsense reforms.
  I will never turn my back on the brave men and women of law 
enforcement who protect North Carolina and protect communities across 
this great Nation.
  Congress needs to start showing more support and respect for law 
enforcement, not only through our words but through our actions, and we 
must hold violent criminals who target them accountable. That is why I 
and several other Senate colleagues have introduced the Protect and 
Serve Act. It is legislation that would create Federal penalties for 
individuals who deliberately target local, State, and Federal law 
enforcement officers with violence.
  Next Congress, I plan to reintroduce this legislation and work to 
build support until its passage because, with increased penalties like 
those proposed in the Protect and Serve Act, criminals may start 
thinking twice before targeting an officer, and if they choose to do 
it, they are going to regret it.
  There is no doubt that being a law enforcement officer is one of the 
hardest and most dangerous jobs in this country, but it is also one of 
the most noble and honorable professions. They run to danger to protect 
others. They are fully aware of those dangers as they go through the 
police academy and begin their career as officers. Yet they do it every 
single day.
  Tyler Herndon is an officer who answered the call, ran into danger to 
protect others, and lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with 
Officer Herndon's family, the Mount Holly Police Department, and the 
community he served. I want Tyler Herndon's family and law enforcement 
across the State of North Carolina to know that we will never forget 
the sacrifice he made and they make every day and that we are going to 
work hard to get them the respect and the resources they deserve.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota