[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING DEPUTY SHERIFF DERRICK BONHAM

  (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Kustoff 
of Tennessee was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the 
majority leader.)


                             General Leave

  Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise to honor Derrick Bonham of 
the Weakley County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Office, who was tragically 
killed in the line of duty.
  On January 30, just after 3 a.m., Deputy Bonham responded to a shots-
fired call in Martin, Tennessee. This is nothing new. Derrick Bonham 
had always answered these calls without hesitation and whenever he was 
needed.
  When Deputy Bonham arrived on the scene to assess the situation, he 
was violently ambushed and fatally wounded. Indeed, Derrick Bonham's 
death has been felt across Weakley County and across West Tennessee, in 
fact, the entire State of Tennessee.
  In the days that followed, thousands lined the streets in a sea of 
blue to honor his sacrifice. Law enforcement officers from across the 
region stood alongside families and neighbors in West Tennessee to show 
their respect and support for a brave man and a brave family.
  That tribute reflected the trust that Derrick Bonham earned and also 
the impact that he had among his law enforcement comrades.
  After the shooting, Mr. Speaker, I spoke with Weakley County Sheriff, 
Terry McDade. Sheriff McDade told me Deputy Bonham--and I am going to 
read this exactly the way he told me: ``Deputy Bonham was the guy that 
all sheriffs want to hire. He was a good, even-keeled law enforcement 
officer who lived his life in a Godly way.''
  Mr. Speaker, Derrick Bonham lived a life defined by devotion to 
service. He took pride in his work and in what it meant to wear that 
uniform.
  We all know that law enforcement in our Nation is a dangerous 
profession. Every time an officer reports for duty, they put their 
lives on the line for all of us. We are deeply grateful for the men and 
women in law enforcement who put that uniform on each and every day to 
serve their neighbors, often without recognition.
  Deputy Bonham was a loving husband to his wife, Nicole; and a devoted 
father to three children: Harper, Hayden, and Hudson.
  He was an Army veteran who served our Nation and later became a 
deputy who served his country and his neighbors. Indeed, Derrick Bonham 
understood that public service is a calling, one that demands courage 
and a willingness to put others first.
  Roberta and I continue to keep the Bonham family and the Weakley 
County Sheriff's Office in our prayers. Deputy Derrick Bonham's legacy 
will live on through the lives that he touched, the men and women with 
whom he worked, and the example that he set for the Weakley County 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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