THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY D. COSTA, WALKO, DEASY, READSHAW, MATZIE, ADOLPH, BEAR, BELFANTI, BEYER, BISHOP, BOYD, BOYLE, BRADFORD, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BROWN, BURNS, CALTAGIRONE, CASORIO, CLYMER, CONKLIN, COX, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DELOZIER, DENLINGER, DePASQUALE, DERMODY, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, FRANKEL, GEORGE, GERBER, GERGELY, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GROVE, GRUCELA, HARHART, HARKINS, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, KESSLER, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KULA, LEVDANSKY, LONGIETTI, MAJOR, MANDERINO, MARSHALL, McGEEHAN, McILVAINE SMITH, MELIO, MENSCH, METZGAR, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MIRABITO, MOUL, MUNDY, MURPHY, MUSTIO, OBERLANDER, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PYLE, QUINN, REED, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROSS, SAINATO, SANTARSIERO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, M. SMITH, SONNEY, STABACK, STEVENSON, STURLA, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, TRUE, VULAKOVICH, WAGNER, WATERS, WATSON AND WHITE, MAY 8, 2009

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MAY 8, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Honoring the memory of the law enforcement officers who gave

their lives in the line of duty in this Commonwealth and

recognizing May 15, 2009, as "National Police Memorial Day"

in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski of the Philadelphia

Police Department made the ultimate sacrifice on May 3, 2008;

and

WHEREAS, Officer Isabel Nazario of the Philadelphia Police

Department made the ultimate sacrifice on September 5, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Michael Weigand, Jr. of the Latimore

Township Police Department made the ultimate sacrifice on

September 15, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Patrick McDonald of the Philadelphia Police

Department made the ultimate sacrifice on September 23, 2008;

and

WHEREAS, Officer David Tome of the Northern York Regional

Police Department made the ultimate sacrifice on October 21,

2008; and

WHEREAS, Officer Nathanial Burnfield of the South Strabane

Township Police Department made the ultimate sacrifice on

November 4, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Timothy Simpson of the Philadelphia Police

Department made the ultimate sacrifice on November 17, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Special Agent Samuel Hicks of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation made the ultimate sacrifice on November 19, 2008;

and

WHEREAS, Officer Chris Jones of the Middletown Township

Police Department made the ultimate sacrifice on January 29,

2009; and

WHEREAS, Officer John Pawlowski of the Philadelphia Police

Department made the ultimate sacrifice on February 13, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Officer Eric G. Kelly of the Pittsburgh Bureau of

Police made the ultimate sacrifice on April 4, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Officer Stephen J. Mayhle of the Pittsburgh Bureau

of Police made the ultimate sacrifice on April 4, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Officer Paul J. Sciullo, II of the Pittsburgh Bureau

of Police made the ultimate sacrifice on April 4, 2009; and

WHEREAS, As of this writing, the deaths of these law

enforcement officers make a total of 722 officers who made the

ultimate sacrifice since the beginning of law enforcement within

this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, A Venango County constable who died in April 1825 is

believed to be the first officer to have given his life in the

line of duty in this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, "National Police Memorial Day" is held on May 15

each year; and

WHEREAS, The week containing May 15 is celebrated each year

as "National Police Week"; and

WHEREAS, On October 1, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed

Joint Resolution 730 of the 87th Congress of the United States,

authorizing the President to proclaim May 15 of each year as

"Peace Officers Memorial Day"; and

WHEREAS, Twenty years passed before the first "National

Police Memorial Day" was recognized on May 15, 1982; and

WHEREAS, May 15 has continued to be observed annually in

memory of those police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice

in the line of duty; and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Lodge of the Fraternal Order

of Police presents the annual memorial service in this

Commonwealth; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the

memories of Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, Officer Isabel Nazario,

Sergeant Michael Weigand, Jr., Sergeant Patrick McDonald,

Officer David Tome, Officer Nathanial Burnfield, Sergeant

Timothy Simpson, Special Agent Samuel Hicks, Officer Chris

Jones, Officer John Pawlowski, Officer Eric G. Kelly, Officer

Stephen J. Mayhle and Officer Paul J. Sciullo, II, the law

enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty in

this Commonwealth in the past year, and recognize May 15, 2009,

as "National Police Memorial Day" in Pennsylvania.