Violence Against Law Enforcement

Floor Speech

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Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, in the last 2 months northwest Indiana has sadly seen a rash of violence against law enforcement. Three officers in and around my district have been shot in the line of duty.

Trooper Benjamin Beers was shot during a traffic stop. Deputy Jon Samuelson was shot three times while helping a stranded driver. Sergeant Justin Helfin was shot during a pursuit.

I want to be clear: If someone targets our officers, they will face justice.

For far too long, we have seen the officers who protect us demonized while excuses are made for the career criminals who terrorize our communities. It is dangerous, and as we have seen recently, it has tragic consequences.

These officers deserve to go home to their spouses, their children, and their parents at the end of every shift. I am grateful that these three survived, but survival is not safety, and three shootings in 2 months cannot be ignored or normalized. It must be a wake-up call.

Law and order does not sustain itself. It is upheld by the men and women who put on the badge, and they are willing to risk everything for strangers. That is what separates us as a functioning society and why I and the thousands of Hoosiers I serve will always back the blue.

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