[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 113 (Monday, July 11, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3195-S3196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Honoring Officer Jeremiah James Story

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today with my fellow Senator 
from Arkansas, Mr. Cotton, to honor Jeremiah James Story, a Perry 
County Detention Center officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the 
line of duty last month.
  Born in Conway, AR, Jeremiah was a 2020 graduate of Bigelow High 
School. Even as a young person, he was a dedicated public servant who 
loved his community and his country. In addition to working as a 
detention officer, he also served in the Army National Guard and 
aspired to become a State trooper. He wore his uniforms with pride and 
was passionate about giving back to others in a variety of ways. There 
was no gesture too small or unimportant for him to offer.
  Jeremiah was also a man of deep faith, who never let pass an 
opportunity to share it with others. He devoted his life to following 
his Lord and Savior and was a longtime member of Riverview Baptist 
Church, where he routinely encouraged people he met to attend services 
with him.
  With his Christian belief as his hope and guide, he demonstrated 
kindness and compassion for others and relied on the power of prayer to 
support and uplift others facing difficult situations.
  Jeremiah's friends and family knew he was special and strived to live 
by the example that he set.
  During a military training exercise last year, fellow troops recalled 
how Jeremiah suffered from trench foot, and while he was ordered to 
stay off his feet, he couldn't resist the urge to serve others. So in 
spite of instructions and consequences to his own recovery, he jumped 
up and filled water bottles for his fellow troops. That was the kind of 
person he was--a giver.
  Those who served alongside him recalled the tough situations they 
experienced together. While it was taxing to be away from family and 
living in challenging conditions, Jeremiah did it with a smile on his 
face.
  He served his community with tremendous care and devotion. We are so 
grateful for his example and willingness to do the tough and dangerous 
job of ensuring public safety.
  At the young age of 21, he was taken far too soon. While his life on 
Earth was short, he left a lasting legacy through the way he treated, 
cared for, and loved others.
  Even the inmates he was responsible for guarding appreciated his care 
and empathy. Several of them attended a memorial service for him to 
show their gratitude and their respect.
  He will be dearly missed by many, including his closest loved ones, 
but his memory will live on as a hero who made a positive impact on all 
those whose lives he touched.
  His death is a tragic reminder of the risk law enforcement officers 
face each day that they put on their uniform and leave the comforts of 
their homes and their loved ones to serve and to protect.
  Senator Cotton and I are honored to pay this tribute to him to bring 
attention to his short but meaningful life and remember the noble 
calling he was willing to risk his life to answer.
  I pray for his family, friends, and colleagues, as they mourn the 
fallen guardian who served others to the very end. May he rest in 
peace, and may God bless him and keep him and all those that he leaves 
behind.
  I yield to Senator Cotton.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. COTTON. Madam President, today, I join Senator Boozman with a 
heavy heart to mourn the death of a young patriot and a selfless public 
servant.
  Last month, Jeremiah Story, a member of the Arkansas National Guard 
and a correctional officer at the Perry County Sheriff's Office, died 
in the line of duty. Officer Story was only 21 years old. He worked at 
the Perry County Detention Center and hoped to one day become a State 
trooper.
  He was known as an infectious source of joy among his friends and 
within his community, always uplifting those who needed cheering up and 
including those who felt left out. He was a devoted Christian who 
encouraged everyone to go to church and who shared the gospel with 
anyone who would listen. And he loved America, joining the Army 
National Guard as soon as he graduated from high school. Jeremiah Story 
was the type of selfless servant every young person should aspire to 
be.
  Three weeks ago, Officer Story was in the process of booking a drug 
criminal at the Perry County Detention Center when the criminal pulled 
out a concealed pistol and shot Officer Story in the chest. He died 
soon thereafter at a Conway hospital, and the coward who shot him is 
now charged with capital murder, as he should be.
  His murderer didn't get away with anything, didn't gain anything, 
didn't escape--nothing for this evil deed. He only snuffed out a 
bright, young, wonderful life.
  He should know, and every criminal in our State should know, that 
justice will be rendered for this awful slaying.
  In the aftermath of Officer Story's death, hundreds of Arkansans have 
come together to remember his life and mourn his loss. Among those who 
attended candlelight vigils for this special young man were the inmates 
at the Perry County Detention Center. The chaplain of the detention 
center said Officer Story was ``loved by a lot of different people, not 
just outside but

[[Page S3196]]

inside.'' He added that he had used Officer Story as an ``example 
setter'' for the inmates for the kind of citizen and man they could 
aspire to be if they turned their lives around.
  Officer Story's example lives on. Those who knew him, those who have 
just now heard of him, can draw inspiration for a life well lived. In 
21 short years, Officer Story did more good and spread more joy than 
many others who have been blessed with many more years on this Earth.
  He was a great Arkansan and a great American. May God bless and keep 
Officer Jeremiah Story, and may God console his family and friends in 
this time of grief.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.