it is with a very heavy heart that I stand today in the Senate to talk about the death of two Americans last week. One tragedy is tearing our communities apart. The other may well show us a path back toward unity. We all know about the brutal, senseless killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last Monday. There is no excuse for what the police did to Mr. Floyd. His killers are being brought to justice. His death, we hope, will not be remembered for the senseless violence launched falsely in his name but, rather, hopefully, in the long-term reform of policing policies across our country. In my home State of Utah, the city of Ogden is mourning another death, that of Police Officer Nate Lyday. On Thursday, May 28, a woman called 9-1-1 saying that her husband was threatening her life. Lyday and a group of officers arrived promptly at the house. The man began shooting at them from inside the home. Lyday was mortally wounded. He was just 24 years old. He was about to celebrate his fifth wedding anniversary with his wife Ashley. He had been on the job as a police officer for just 15 months. By all accounts, he did that job honorably and completely up to the last moment. Nate Lyday was an officer who sought to uphold justice and protect the innocent, even making the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of a threatened and fearful family. Nate Lyday was a ``son of Ogden,'' as Police Chief Randy Watt said.…
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