[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17454]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO INDIANAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER TIMOTHY LAIRD

  Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to and honor the 
remarkable life of Timothy ``Jake'' Laird, an Indianapolis police 
officer who was killed in the line of duty on August 18, 2004 by a 
gunman terrorizing an Indianapolis neighborhood.
  During the early morning of August 18, Officer Laird left his own 
patrol area to come to the aid of fellow police officers in a nearby 
neighborhood who were facing a dangerous man armed with multiple 
assault weapons. Laird, a 4-year veteran of the Indianapolis Police 
Department, went out of his way to protect the citizens of Indianapolis 
by knowingly putting himself in danger, a selfless act that would cost 
him his life. Officer Laird, 31 years old, was the first Indianapolis 
police officer to die in the line of duty in 16 years.
  Officer Laird graduated from Warren Central High School in 1991. 
After graduating from high school, he joined the Marines and married 
his high school sweetheart, Jennifer Lyn Reno, in 1992. Officer Laird 
served 8 years in the Marines before joining the Indianapolis Police 
Department in 2000, where he quickly distinguished himself as a 
confident, hardworking policeman who could be counted on by his fellow 
officers.
  During his time with the Indianapolis Police Department, Officer 
Laird received two letters of commendation, though these respected 
symbols of official praise pale in comparison to the words his family 
and fellow officers used to describe his work. Those who knew him 
remember Officer Laird as a perfectionist who demanded the most of 
himself on the job but was the first to laugh at himself during lighter 
moments. He was known as the kind of officer that others wanted with 
them on patrol, and his willingness to put his life in danger to help 
another officer is the ultimate proof of the kind of man he was.
  Officer Laird was a devoted family man who relished his time with 
loved ones. He leaves behind his wife, Jennifer; his daughter, Kaylee; 
his father, Tim Althouse; and his stepmother, Barb; his mother and 
stepfather, Debbie and Michael Laird; his two brothers, one sister and 
two stepbrothers.
  In the wake of his death, friends, neighbors and fellow officers came 
together to praise Officer Laird's bravery, selflessness and love for 
his family. According to his father, Jake had wanted to be a police 
officer ever since he was a little boy. Officer Laird was a role model 
not only for his family, but for all who knew him and whose lives he 
touched. He dedicated his life to the noblest of causes; his family, 
his job and keeping others safe. May his daughter grow up knowing that 
her father was a brave, hard-working and loving man.
  It is my sad duty to enter the name of Timothy ``Jake'' Laird into 
the United States Congressional Record. As Officer Laird rests with God 
in eternal peace, let us never forget the courage and sacrifice he 
displayed when he laid down his life on August 18, 2004.

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