[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15211-15212]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    IN HONOR OF OFFICER JOHN KELLY, STATEN ISLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, John Kelly was a young man, 31 years old, 
who grew up in the Oakwood section of Staten Island, attended high 
school there, was a parishioner at Lady Star of the Sea in Huguenot, 
had a wonderful wife, also a police officer with the New York City 
Police Department.
  John, after graduating, fulfilled his desire like so many of his 
family members, his brothers Thomas, James and Daniel, as well as other 
family members, to go become a New York City police officer.
  He did that for 8\1/2\ years. He had two beautiful children, a 2-
year-old and a 9-

[[Page 15212]]

month-old. He had his whole life ahead of him, until yesterday. This 
decorated New York City police officer was killed while he was doing 
his job protecting the people of New York City and specifically the 
people of Staten Island.
  He is the third police officer to die in the last 3 years in Staten 
Island alone, adding to the list of hundreds of others who have given 
their life for their country and for the community.
  So now a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old grow up without a father. 
Patricia, with our prayers, along with her family, will live on.
  John's mother, Margaret, as well as his brothers Michael, Robert and 
Patrick, hopefully will find some comfort and solace from the other 
people of our community knowing that Officer John Kelly, a decorated 
officer with four commendations during his career, who went above and 
beyond the call of duty for the people he loved so much, the community 
he loved so much, as well as for the job he took so much pride in 
performing day in and day out. His partners and everyone who worked 
with him on Staten Island have nothing but praise for him.
  I just thought it was appropriate that from time to time while 
others, like cats on mice, jump to disparage what good police officers 
do throughout our Nation, that we understand and pause for just a 
moment to remember that people like John Kelly, just 31 years old, gave 
his life for the very reason that he took the oath to be a New York 
City police officer.
  So if anything comes out of this, I just would hope that the people 
of this Nation remember the Kelly family in their prayers. We wish, on 
behalf of the people of Staten Island, that they find some comfort in 
knowing that John Kelly died a hero.

                          ____________________