Political Quotes

“Timothy McCarthy has had an amazing career in law enforcement where he was at the right place when needed. Whether it was protecting Presidents or his hometown of Orland Park, Tim has been where people needed him most. After 48 years, he will be retiring, and today, I lend my voice to the many who honor him. Tim dared to try out for the University of Illinois' football team as a walk-on in 1967, even though he had not played the sport at Leo High School in Chicago. However, he was so impressive that he was given a full scholarship the next year, playing strong safety for the Fighting Illini. Injuries cut his football career short, but he found himself on another career path, the Secret Service. With a father who served in the Chicago Police Department as a sergeant, law enforcement was a natural draw for him. He started out as an investigator in the Chicago field office for the Secret Service in 1972. Tim moved to the Presidential protection division for President Jimmy Carter. On March 30, 1981, Tim was protecting President Ronald Reagan in Washington. A coin toss with a fellow agent put him into duty that fateful day. He remembers wearing a brandnew blue-gray suit when John Hinckley, Jr., stepped out from a crowd with a handgun and attempted to kill the President. In 1.7 seconds, John Hinckley, Jr., fired six bullets. The first bullet hit Press Secretary James Brady. The second hit Washington, DC, police officer Tom Delahanty.…”