[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13540-13541]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          LOCAL POLICE HEROES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 2017

  Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
praise the heroism of six local law enforcement officers, who 
selflessly risked life and limb to protect their fellow citizens.

[[Page 13541]]

  On Monday, June 22, 2015, a number of Pittsburgh police officers were 
dispatched on a call for shots fired shortly after 10 a.m. near the 
intersection of Knox Avenue and Orchard Place in the City of 
Pittsburgh's Knoxville neighborhood.
  As the units were responding, calls came in reporting that this was 
an ``active shooter'' incident and the suspect was firing an AR-15-
style semi-automatic rifle. The suspect moved around the neighborhood, 
shooting a male taxi driver on Rentz Way, firing shots at vehicles and 
into occupied homes near a children's day care facility, and carjacking 
a white Buick from Rochelle Street. As the reports continued to come 
in, all available units responded to the area in search of the suspect, 
with reports that the suspect had driven towards Brownsville Road.
  Sergeant Kevin Faulds of the Allegheny County Sheriffs Office 
responded to the call for all available units. Turning onto Brownsville 
Road from Knox Avenue, he spotted the Buick on Brownsville Road and did 
a u-turn to pursue. As he made the u-turn, the suspect stopped his 
vehicle and fired his assault rifle from within the car, striking 
Sergeant Faulds' vehicle multiple times. Sergeant Faulds took cover and 
radioed in his situation. When the suspect began driving again, 
Sergeant Faulds again followed him. The suspect again stopped his 
vehicle and started shooting. One round went through the top of the 
windshield on the passenger side of the cruiser. The car's visor and 
windshield frame deflected the bullet down and towards Sergeant Faulds, 
ripping through the headrest of his seat inches from his head and 
shattering the back window. Sergeant Faulds maneuvered his patrol car 
behind a bus for protection. When the suspect stopped shooting and 
drove away, Sergeant Faulds pulled out and followed the suspect at a 
distance of 50 to 100 feet, all the while continuing to call in 
information on the suspect's location and his own.
  Officer Joseph DelSole of the Port Authority Police Department heard 
radio calls regarding an active shooter in a stolen vehicle in the 
Knoxville Area. Based on Sergeant Faulds' report on his location, 
Officer DelSole, working the South Zone of the Port Authority service 
area, proceeded from the South Busway and took up a firing position on 
Route 51.
  At the same time, City of Pittsburgh Police Sergeant James Vogel 
stopped traffic on Route 51, trapping the suspect in the traffic jam. 
Then, Sergeant Vogel made his way on foot through the stopped vehicles 
and confronted the suspect, who was still sitting in the stolen car. 
The suspect fired at him using the semi-automatic rifle.
  City of Pittsburgh Detectives William Friburger and David Honick, 
along with City of Pittsburgh Sergeant Anthony Palermo approached the 
suspect's vehicle on foot. Officer DelSole, Sergeant Vogel, Detectives 
Friburger and Honick, and Sergeant Palermo fired at the vehicle in 
order to neutralize the suspect, who was firing at them. The officers 
and suspect continued to exchange shots from close range until the 
suspect was hit and succumbed to his injuries.
  Mr. Speaker, I think we can all appreciate the courage and dedication 
it takes to consciously place oneself in danger by entering a hostile 
gunman's field of fire. Not one, not two, but six law enforcement 
officers in our county did so that day, and continued to risk their 
lives until the gunman posed no further threat to the community. I 
can't begin to express my deep respect and admiration for these brave 
law enforcement officers or my gratitude to them for their exemplary 
actions that day. I also want to point out that they, like all of our 
first responders, go to work each day not knowing what challenges they 
will face or what risks they will run. The fact that they get up and go 
to work every day despite the risks inherent in the job speaks volumes 
about the depth of the commitment they have to protecting their 
community. They are outstanding public servants, and they deserve 
recognition here in our Nation's Capital.
  I'm very proud of Sergeant Faulds, Officer DelSole, Sergeant Vogel, 
Detective Friburger, Detective Honick, and Sergeant Palermo, and I want 
my colleagues and the Nation to take comfort in the knowledge that real 
heroes still live among us. I hope their actions that day will be an 
inspiration to all of us to always do what's right, no matter what the 
cost.

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