[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.