-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today, along with my friend and colleague from Arkansas Senator Cotton, to honor Independence County Deputy Sheriff Frank Ramirez, Jr.

Deputy Ramirez called Batesville, AR, home and was proud to help protect his community. Sadly, that service was required, and this requirement was making the ultimate sacrifice when he died in the line of duty on Thursday, November 18, in an early morning crash that occurred while he was responding to a call.

He leaves behind a wife and two children, among many other loving family members, as well as his brothers and his sisters in law enforcement who admired him deeply and felt honored to serve alongside him.

Frank Ramirez, Jr., graduated from Batesville High School and was formerly an officer with the Batesville Police Department before joining the Independence County Sheriff's Department as a patrol deputy.

He had a passion for serving and protecting, and he followed through on that desire by becoming a law enforcement officer, sworn to uphold the law and safeguard the vulnerable.

Those who knew him, both in uniform and out, consistently described him as a good man. Even for someone so young, there is no better compliment to be paid than that. It is a testament to the way he lived his life--doing the right thing, meeting his obligations, and showing genuine care and compassion for others.

Although his passing did not come at the hands of a suspect, it stings just the same. It should remind us of the harrowing, uncertain fate that awaits every man or woman who wears a badge.

These citizen servants are not guaranteed comfort or safety or the opportunity to see the next day when they clock in, but they choose to shoulder the risk, put on their uniform, and step out the door, reporting for duty to protect and serve and do good in ways that are just as often unseen as seen.

While danger comes in different forms throughout a shift or career, it nevertheless always lurks nearby. No assignment is ever completely without hazards or without jeopardy. Yet our police, sheriffs, and troopers do the job anyway because they have been called to and because they understand the need is great, even if the odds are long or the numbers are too few.

That is what sets Deputy Ramirez and his colleagues apart. They run toward danger and uncertainty when the rest of us flee. We must always remember and honor these fallen heroes and pray the character they embody carries on to new generations.

But today, we are here to reflect on the life and sacrifice of one, Deputy Frank Ramirez, Jr., a noble, brave, public servant, a devoted husband and father, a protector of this community, and as so many have already remembered, a good man.

On behalf of all Arkansans, we are grateful for his dedication and his sacrifice. Our prayers are with his loved ones and the brothers and sisters in blue left to go on without him after his End of Watch.

The thin blue line is without one more courageous officer today, but Deputy Ramirez's legacy will help instill even greater pride and passion among its ranks because of the life he lived and gave for the benefit of so many others.

May he rest in peace, and may God comfort all who mourn him.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source