[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8058]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF BRIAN MAHAFFEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with sadness to 
recognize fallen Rockdale County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Mahaffey.
  On May 8, Deputy Mahaffey was shot and killed in the line of duty 
while executing a search warrant in Conyers, Georgia. Deputy Mahaffey 
was shot. Although he was wearing a bulletproof vest, this bullet 
entered at an unusual angle and, as a result, he received a fatal 
gunshot wound. Deputy Mahaffey was only 28 years old.
  Deputy Mahaffey served his community courageously and honorably. 
Brian was not only a sheriff's deputy, but he was a husband, he was a 
father, he was a brother, and he was a son. He loved to fish and he 
loved to work on cars. His friends often described him as a 
kindhearted, genuine, sincere, loving person.
  It is difficult to see a life cut short, Mr. Speaker, by such a 
reprehensible act, but the people of the 4th District of Georgia are 
thankful for his love of serving others and protecting the community.
  I am deeply saddened at the loss of our fallen sheriff's deputy, 
Brian Mahaffey, and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his 
family--his wife, Diana; 2-year-old son Trenton; almost 3-month-old 
daughter Anniston; his brother, Christopher; and his parents, Terry and 
Cindy. I pray that they find comfort in this unimaginably difficult 
time.
  When a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty, it's a 
loss that is felt by all Georgians. We are a family, and we have just 
lost a son.
  Brian Mahaffey was a hero. I am humbled by his service and his 
sacrifice. Deputy Mahaffey's duty was to protect and serve the citizens 
of Rockdale County. Thanks to law enforcement officers like Brian, our 
Nation is more secure. He routinely put his life on the line to defend 
those in Rockdale County, and his bravery resulted in his death.
  The 4th District has lost a dedicated deputy, a public servant, role 
model, and family man. We must honor his memory with an unwillingness 
to surrender to crime and to lawlessness, and we must maintain our 
determination to bring justice to those who make us unsafe.

                          ____________________