Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman so much for the opportunity to stand here in solidarity with our colleagues across the aisle in honor of Police Week and in honor of our police officers and peace officers across this country. I rise today to remember the remarkable lives of two Virginia State police officers, one from our district in Midlothian and one from nearby New Kent County. They were both killed in the line of duty. On August 12, 2017, Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates were not responding to an ordinary call. Instead, they were flying via helicopter to an event that became infamous as one of the darkest days in modern Virginia history. Cullen and Bates were en route to Charlottesville to monitor the events transpiring around the Unite the Right white nationalist rally. Forces of hate had gathered, and law enforcement was called in to help end the chaos. After police had canceled the event as an unlawful assembly, Cullen and Bates were instructed to assist their fellow officers. They were to circle over Charlottesville, and their mission was to provide surveillance of the violence, restore order, and help the community end the nightmare that had transpired. However, mid-flight, their helicopter crashed on the outskirts of Charlottesville, and both Cullen and Bates were killed in action.…”