Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a police officer from my district who lost his life in the line of duty just this week. Lieutenant Patrick Weatherford was a 15-year veteran of the Newport police force in the criminal investigations division. He graduated from Arkansas State University-Newport, and University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Lieutenant Weatherford, 41, was the husband to Kristen Weatherford and a loving father to his daughter and young son. At 6 p.m. on Monday, June 12, 2017, Weatherford responded to reports of a vehicle break-in. In pursuit of the suspect on foot, Lieutenant Weatherford was shot and taken to a local hospital where, shortly after, he succumbed to his wounds. While I did not know Weatherford personally, what I do know is that he was deeply loved by his community of Newport. The police chief, Michael Scudder, described Weatherford as a very good friend and an excellent officer who wanted to make things better for Newport. Others remember him as a mentor and a fair, calming presence on the force at times when things can get tense. Weatherford had graduated from Newport High School and dedicated his life to learning how to serve the community he loved better and better. Last year, Patrick had graduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. That same year, Weatherford was named the Jackson County Officer of the Year by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.…”