Andrea Joy Campbell: “today I pay tribute to two Capitol Police officers, two heroes, who last Friday gave their lives in the line of duty…”

“today I pay tribute to two Capitol Police officers, two heroes, who last Friday gave their lives in the line of duty while serving their country, Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob Chestnut. Last Friday's shocking and senseless violence in the halls of the U.S. Capitol both saddened our nation and took the lives of two of our finest. I would like to take a moment to share a few memories and thoughts about the two slain officers. About a month ago, in late June, I had the chance to start a new friendship with a good man. I had the pleasure to get to know John Gibson, not just as a able and dedicated detective, but also as a gentleman and dedicated family man. During our time together, I learned that we shared common values and a similar hobby. As a former deputy sheriff myself, it quickly became evident that Detective Gibson and I shared an understanding of the daily perils facing law enforcement officers. Detective Gibson and I also discovered that we both shared the rather unique hobby of collecting police patches. In fact, just last month I sent him several police arm patches from Colorado to add to his collection as a small token of my appreciation for his dedicated service. I understand that it was Detective John Gibson's final shot, his final act as a defender of the peace, that brought the gunman down and ended the violent rampage.”