[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10257]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING DEPUTY MICHAEL JACOBI AND DEPUTY MATTHEW SWOPE, RECIPIENTS 
 OF THE POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN POLICE OFFICERS OF THE 
                               YEAR AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAN BENISHEK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 2014

  Mr. BENISHEK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two deputies of 
the Crawford County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Michael Jacobi and Deputy 
Matthew Swope on the distinction of earning the Police Officers 
Association of Michigan's Police Officers of the Year Award. Deputy 
Jacobi and Deputy Swope are two of five officers to be honored by the 
Police Officers Association of Michigan for 2014. On behalf of all 
residents of Northern Michigan, we are honored to have two officers 
such as Deputy Jacobi and Deputy Swope to be serving and earn this 
distinction.
  On the night of Jan. 16-17, a woman was abducted at gunpoint from the 
campus of Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant and forced to 
the home of a male suspect, later identified as recently-paroled Eric 
Lee Ramsey, who bound her and sexually assaulted her. He returned her 
to the car and began driving, stating that he intended to murder her. 
The woman managed to open the door and jump out of the moving vehicle, 
taking refuge in a nearby home. The suspect poured gasoline on the home 
and attempted to set it ablaze before fleeing the scene.
  The police were notified, and several hours later the suspect rammed 
a state police cruiser. After being pursued by more state troopers, 
Ramsey was able to flee and take control of a large flatbed truck. The 
word was put out to be on watch for the vehicle, and Crawford County 
Deputy Michael Jacobi turned around to give pursuit after passing by in 
the opposite direction. Jacobi became the only officer on his trail 
after the suspect rammed an additional state police cruiser, disabling 
it and injuring the officers inside.
  Seeing a roadblock, Ramsey turned the vehicle around while Jacobi 
checked on the status of the injured officers, and crashed head-on into 
Jacobi's cruiser. He repeatedly backed up and continued ramming the 
patrol car until the vehicles became jammed together. At this point 
Jacobi took hold of his M-16 rifle, which he set to full automatic, and 
fired a burst, holding the gun over his head. However, the gun jammed, 
and Ramsey exited his vehicle. It was then that Jacobi saw Ramsey 
holding what he believed to be a firearm. He dropped his jammed M-16 
and drew his Glock pistol. During this time, Deputy Matthew Swope 
arrived on the scene, and Ramsey moved out of sight of Jacobi. Swope 
placed his vehicle between the truck and Jacobi, a brave action which 
provided protection to his exposed partner while risking his own 
safety.
  Ramsey then began trying to free his vehicle, and Deputy Jacobi 
approached the cab. Through the window, he could see that the suspect 
was pointing the gun at him. Jacobi determined that his partner and 
himself were in imminent danger, and fired into the vehicle several 
times. There was no response or movement from within the truck, leading 
the deputies to secure Ramsey. They found that the suspect was 
deceased, and had been brandishing an air-pistol designed to look like 
a firearm.
  Eric Lee Ramsey, after sexually assaulting and attempting to murder a 
woman, fleeing police and exposing many on the road to extreme danger, 
and threatening officers with bodily harm, was subdued due to the 
bravery and service of officers Matthew Swope and Michael Jacobi, who 
put themselves at great personal risk to protect the public and each 
other.
  For this action in which they put themselves at great risk, they are 
honored by the Police Officers Association of Michigan and earned the 
2014 Police Officers of the Year Award. This is their second time being 
honored for their dedication, after receiving this award in 2013 for 
previous actions of bravery. I wish to commend Deputy Jacobi and Deputy 
Swope for their heroism and well deserved honor of earning the Police 
Officers Association of Michigan's Police Officers of the Year Award, 
the second time they have been honored by the Police Officers 
Association of Michigan for going above and beyond the call of duty. 
Furthermore, I salute all Michigan law enforcement officials from Isle 
Royale to Monroe County and Gogebic County to Port Huron in the work 
they do every day to protect the residents of our state.

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