Announcer ladies and gentlemen, 102015ipient of the 2014 medal of valor. [applause] of the 20142015 medal of valor. [applause]. G]usic playin gentlemen, the president of the United States company by attorney general byetta lynch accompanied attorney general loretta lynch. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the white house. Thank you all so much. I love to have the musical come. I do not get that all the time. What to hang out with you more often. Please be seated. To everyone here today, it is such a pleasure to be with you all today. It is such a privilege, really truly honored to join so many outstanding Public Servants and distinguished guests and particularly our parade of Law Enforcement officers as we gather to honor the newest participants recipients of the Public Safety officer middle valor. Medal of of course, we have a special thanks to the friends, colleagues, and family members who travel here to join us for this very special ceremony. It is one of the best ones that we do in the white house. We are so grateful for your support and we are so inspired by all that you have done to support our honorees. We know that so often, it is because of your sacrifices that they are able to serve. Today, we pause to salute a truly Remarkable Group of Public Safety officers who have gone above and beyond the call duty to serve their communities and protect their fellow americans. In the face of terrible violence, they have displayed extruder courage. Confronted with imminent danger, they responded with uncommon valor. In encountering wrongdoers with no regard for law or life, they fought to defend honorable and to generate. These little valor recipients hasten towards the cries of help. They ran towards the sounds of gunfire that were in there. They responded to School Shootings, armed robberies, hostagetakings and kidnappings, ask of domestic violence. Some of these heroes met danger in the course of their patrol, others were offduty when they were called into action. We all know that it is not the hour on the clock or the color of the shirt that determines the hero, but the heart of the guardian. That they allians are, all of our mail recipients act without hesitation medal recipients act without hesitation. One of them made the ultimate sacrifice giving his life to save others. I know that no words or metals can begin to repay the debt that we oh two these exceptional officers. Although Police Officers, federal agents, firefighters, emt who go through incredible it links to preserve their own and protect the american people. It has often been said that the price of freedom is constant vigilance. Know this, they pay that price on our behalf. Their vigilance keeps our communities safe. Their devotion keeps our nation secure in their patriotism makes our country strong. Atbehalf of my colleagues every level of the department of justice, i want to thank each and everyone of you for all that you have done and for all that you will continue to do. Im so proud to count you as oftners laws and guardians justice and i congratulate you on this welldeserved honor. Honor ande the distinct privilege of tradition some who needs no introduction. But someone who is deeply nationsto our low Law Enforcement and Public Safety officers. Some works tirelessly for their wellbeing and whom i know is, grateful for your service. Ladies and gentlemen, without further into, please welcome the president of the United States. [applause] thank you. Thank you and good morning. Welcome to the white house. Thank you attorney general lynch for your words and your leadership. We have a couple members of congress here. Frederick o wilson and chris collins, we want to acknowledge. I want to read that director komi director tony. And ill be unfortunate officials around the country better here. Im proud to say that with you as we celebrate police week and, most of all, im proud to be with the heroes on the front line and the families have supported them and for the family of one who made the ultimate sacrifice. That perfectaid valor is doing without witnesses what you would do if the whole world were watching. Public safety officers, we recognize today the middle of valor who found courage not in search of recognition, they did it mistakenly. Instinctively. This is an award that none of them saw. If they could go back in time, i expect it would prefer that none of this would happen. One of todays honor he said about his actions, i could have very well, whole career and not that with the situation and been very happy for that. If they had their way, none of them would have to be there and so we are grateful that they are. Our entire nation expresses its profound gratitude. Rightful that they were there. Some on, others offduty. All rising above and beyond their call of duty. All saving lives of people they did not know. 13t distinction that these officers of valor said the lives of strangers is the first of several qualities that they share. , if it had not been for their bravery, we likely would have lost a lot of people. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends and loved ones. Thankfully, they are still with their families today because these officers were where they needed to be most. At a critical time. At a gas station during a routine patrol. In the middle of a busy hospital. In a grocery store. On the campus of a community college. In elementary school. Andarch deputy of student wife taught. In all of these moments, these officers were true to their oaths. They actedson, without regard to their own safety. They stood up to dangerous individuals brandishing assault rifles, handguns and knives. One officer sustained multiple stab wounds while fighting off an assailant. Another endured first degree burns to his arms and face while pulling an driver from a burning car on a freeway. Humbly a wereery just doing their jobs. Do what they had to do. Do what they were trained to do like on any other day. The officer who suffer those , heible words, burns left urgent care and went straight to work. He had to finish his ship. That sense of duty and purpose is what these americans aday. The truth is, it is because body embody. The truth is it is because of what these two that we can live our lives like it is any other day. Going to work or go to school. Spending time with our families, getting home safely. Our publicciate safety officers around the country from our rookie cadets to our role models of attorney general. Ear everyone will where w the metal we give today, but every day, so many of our Public Safety offers officers were a badge of honor. The men and women who run towards danger remind us of the courage and humility with the highest form of citizenship looks like. And you see students commuters and shoppers at risk, you do not see the civilians as strangers, he see them as part of your own family. Your own community. This picture teaches us that you love your neighbor as yourself scripture teaches us that you love your neighbor as yourself. You put others before yourself. Loving onetry means another. Today, we went to knowledge the profound sacrifices made by your families. I have a chance to meet some of them and they were all clearly so proud of you. But we are very proud of them. You stay up late and im worried and he kept on the minutes until your loved one walks through the door safe after a long shift. We know it never gets easier. We thank you for that. Of course, we honor those who did not home come home including Sergeant Robert wilson the third and we honor posthumously. He gave his life when two men opened fired at a Video Game Store where he was buying a birthday present for his son. Do his family who is here, his grandmother, his brother and sister, please know how deeply sorry we are for your loss. How grateful we are for Sergeant Wilson service. We also honor the more than 35 who have given their lives in a line of duty this year. One of them, an officer in wasinia and Ashley Murray taken from us on her very first shift. Sacrifice when i joined some of you at the national Law Enforcement officers memorial not far from here. We read the names carved on these walls and we grieve with the families who carry the fallen in their hearts forever. We have been moved deeply by the english. H. T also anguis but also by their pride. In those moments, we are reminded of our enduring obligation as citizens that they sacrifice so much for that we do right by them. And their families. Medals and ceremonies like today are important, but these are not enough to convey the true depth of our gratitude. Our words will be hollow if they are not matched by deeds. Our nation has a response to apport those actions protective think it the streets safe. We show our spec by listening to you, learning from you, giving you the resources that you need to do the jobs. To open dialogue and build trust , find concrete solutions that make your job safer. Country is that right now. Push congress to form a bipartisan way to reform the criminal Justice System to make it more fair, smarter, more costeffective and enhance Public Safety and ensure the men and women in this room have the ability to enforce the law and keep them community safe. A few minutes ago, i signed into law a package of bills to protect and honor our officers to help them buy more what proof vests. Bullet proof vest. Theres always safety and valor in valor. The Public Safety officers we understood they give those words a new meaning. Your courage and quick thinking gave us our safety and we want to thank you to your service and we want to thank you and your families for their sacrifice. Before i came here to meet with the recipients and i told them that, although this particular moment for which you are being honored is remarkable, we also know that every day you go out there you have a tough job. Prouder of not only moments like the one we recognize here today, but the daytoday grind. You doing your jobs professionally. You doing your jobs with character. We want you to know that we cannot be prouder of you and we cannot be powder of your thelies and all contributions that you made. May god bless you and your families, may god bless our Fallen Heroes, may god bless the United States of america and it is now my honor to award these dals as thee citations are written. Officer mario could years guittierez. Medal of valor, miami Police Department. For bravery and composure during a violent attack. Rez sustainedr multiple stab wounds fending off a person try to set off against bush and that would have harmed multiple people. Gas explosion that would have harmed multiple people. [applause] chechie. Lmen lewis medal of valor, Police Department new york. Volatile encounter with the gunman. After witnessing the murder of a fellow officer, he pursued and apprehended the gunman at a crowded hospital thereby saving the lives of employees and patients. [applause] officer jason salus, officer Robert Sparks officer captain raven. Captain raymond. , santa monica Police Department california. For courage and composure and ending a deadly rampage. Themselves in mortal danger to save the lives of student and staff during a School Shooting on the busy campus of santa monica college. [applause] major david huff. Toal of valor presented major david huff, oklahoma. Uncommon poise and resolving a dangerous hostage situation. He said the life of a twoyearold girl after negotiating negotiations deteriorated with the man holding the child cap the at knife point captive at knife point. [applause] officer donald thompson. Middle valor presented officer donald thompson, los angeles Police Department. Courageous action to save an accident victim. While off duty, he traversed to freeway dividers and adored first and Second Degree burns wellpoint and unconscious man beforefety to safety the car became engulfed in flames. [applause] officer coral walker. Valor presented to officer coral walker, omaha Police Department. For taking great and Decisive Action to subdue and active shooter after exchanging gunfire, he singlehandedly incapacitated a man who had injured and killed multiple victims on a shooting spree. [applause] officer gregory stevens. Medal of valor presented to officer gregory stevens, texas Police Department. In the trading courage to save lives. He exchanged gunfire at close range of two heavily armed assailants putting a deadly act of terrorism. Preventing a deadly act of terrorism. [applause] mrs. Constance wilson accepted on behalf of Sergeant Wilson iii. Middle valor presented to medal of valor presented to sergeant was in the third. Given his life to protect innocent civilians. He put himself in harms way during an Armed Robbery drawn fire from the assailant and suffered a mortal wound as he kept store employees and customers safe. [applause] officer nile johnson. Medal of valor presented to hnson, florida. Swift and millers action to any crimes be. He pursued a man who had shot a Miami Police Officer and two other innocent bystanders withstanding fire from an assault weapon and apprehended the assailant. [applause] special agent tyler cahl. Todle valor presented special agent tyler cahl, fbi. Her own actions to save a hostage. Wrote actions to save a hostage. Wrote actions to say day save aactions to hostage. [applause] deputy joey tortorella. Middle of valor presented to deputy joey tortorella, Niagara County sheriffs office. Basing himself in great danger to protect the community. Confronted and subdued and filing gunman who had shot and wounded his parents inside the home and by doing so, prevented the gunman from threatening the safety of students at a nearby elementary school. [applause] lets give one last big round of applause to the recipients. [applause] [applause] thank you all. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for your service. You are continuously in our thoughts and prayers and we are continuously giving thanks for all that you and your families do. Thank you, everybody. [applause] at the opening of the senate today, the tory leader Mitch Mcconnell focused his remarks on the work of Law Enforcement officers and police week. Majority leader. This week we commemorate National Police week and pay tribute to the local, state, and federal lawenforcement officers who keep our country and our community safe. We are grateful for their service and for the sacrifice. We benefit from their pledge to serve, protect, and defend. I had the pleasure of meeting with several officers from richmond, kentucky who were in town for the event the police week. I also met with the families of Kentucky Police officers who lay down their lives the line of duty. Typically, tragically, five officers from the bluegrass state were lost in 2015. Travis of, lieutenant the boyd county detention center. I much 11, officer byrd. On march 11, officer byrd. June 23, state trooper eric keyes chrisman. September 13, joseph ponder. November 6, senior Patrol Officer daniel ellis of the richmond Police Department. The names of these five officers, along with the names bravedreds of other officers across the country have been added to our National Monument of Law Enforcement officers lost in the line of duty. The national Law Enforcement officers memorial. The names of over 500 kentuckians appear on the memorial and more than 20,000 names from across the country appear in all. That includes the four capitol Police Officers lost in the line , capitolince 1994 Police Briefly held a ceremony to honor their fallen officers. It reminds of public continuous sacrifices of the men and women who stand guard every day at the very heart of our democracy. We are grateful for their service. To a proud cosponsor recognize please week. It recognizes the work of Law Enforcement officers in the 25th anniversary of the National Love for the memorial. The 15th anniversary of 9 11 and all the officers lost in the line of duty in 2015. Im also a proud cosponsor of the Fallen Heroes bill. This would provide a program to provide flags put over the capital to the immediate family members of Law Enforcement and Public Safety officers were lost in the line of duty. This bill has passed both the house and senate and is awaiting the president signature. President s signature. Cop police act would expand grants for active Shooter Training and equip on enforcement to respond to events like the San Bernardino shootings. Passing the police act would help give our Police Officers the training they need to do their jobs more effectively. Im also grateful for the work across the nation. They share my deep admiration and respect for Police Officers everywhere stop four Police Officers everywhere. A democratic leader. I joined the republican leader in recognizing the Law Enforcement officers around this country. They have such a tough job stop and they have such a to have job in and i do not think we appreciate them enough oh i appreciate what the pu
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