[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6823]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 DARYLE BLACK: A DEFENDER OF THE PEOPLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, today the City of Long Beach, California, 
mourns the loss of a fine young police officer who was brutally 
murdered last Saturday night in a gang attack that also wounded his 
partner. Officer Daryle Black was 33 years of age when he died in the 
sudden and unprovoked attack that also wounded his colleague, Officer 
Rick Delfin. The murder of Officer Black reminds all of us that law and 
order are not automatic.
  Safe streets and peaceful neighborhoods are created by those willing 
to risk their own safety, even their lives, for our community.
  Officer Black cared deeply about serving others, and he served with a 
quiet courage and a steady professionalism. His loss is one we will all 
feel for many years from now.
  Officer Black was a former United States Marine, a 6-year veteran of 
the Long Beach Police Department. He was assigned to a special gang 
enforcement unit. Officer Black was a very soft spoken person. Some of 
his colleagues said he was a gentle giant whose love for police work 
gave him the drive to risk his life on the streets every day.
  He will be remembered by his many friends and colleagues for his 
professional dedication and commitment to protecting his community.
  At the time of the shooting, Officer Black and his partner had just 
finished part of a police sweep of a neighborhood where gangs and drugs 
have been a serious problem for the city. Officer Delfin was wounded in 
the assault and is now recovering from an attack that most of us could 
never imagine, let alone face on a daily basis.
  Daryle Black and Rick Delfin could imagine such an attack. Like every 
other police officer in America; however, they regularly faced personal 
danger, frequent physical and verbal assaults, and a host of other 
uncertainties each day as an unavoidable part of their job.
  Mr. Speaker, too often we take for granted the thousands of men and 
women who patrol our neighborhoods, walk our streets, and guard our 
lives and property. The death of Officer Black brings home to us the 
very real and very constant risks that others accept on our behalf. All 
of our Nation's law enforcement officers face those risks every single 
day.
  Each time they leave their homes and families and go to work, there 
is no guarantee that they will return. They accept the risk of death to 
protect our freedom and our ability to live in a peaceful society, and 
they do this without hesitation or complaint.
  We struggle to express feelings of grief, sorrow, and appreciation 
for this fine and humane man who lost his life protecting our freedom 
and our safety. As we mourn, we must remind ourselves that civilization 
comes with a cost; but we can take solace in knowing that police 
officers, like Daryle Black, defend our society every day.
  Mr. Speaker, all of us owe a great debt of gratitude to the brave men 
and women who have dedicated law enforcement as their career. They 
provide us with peace of mind. Thank you, Daryle Black. Thank you, Rick 
Delfin. Condolences to the family of Officer Black and the hope that 
there will be a rapid recovery for Rick Delfin.

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