The President's Statement on the Shooting
of the Des Moines, Iowa Police Officers
Yesterday,
two police officers put on their uniforms to serve and protect the
communities they loved. And early this morning, they were taken from us
in shameful acts of
violence.
Sergeant
Anthony Beminio and Officer Justin Martin represented our best, most
decent instincts as human beings – to serve our neighbors, to put
ourselves in harm’s way for
someone else. They knew the dangers of their job. They knew the
risks. Yet they chose to dedicate themselves to those values anyway.
So today, Michelle and I join Americans across our country in expressing
our condolences and stand in solidarity with their
grieving families, fellow officers, and the communities they served so
honorably.
All
across the country, our police officers go to work each day not knowing
whether they’ll come home at night. Their families live each day with
the same fears. So as
Americans, we owe them our respect and gratitude for their efforts to
safeguard our families and our communities. And so as we once again
mourn American police officers lost in the line of duty, we must also
renew the call to match that same sense of service,
that same devotion within our own lives and our own communities.
Thankfully,
that’s the Iowa I know well. That’s what I’ve experienced every time
I’ve visited Urbandale and Des Moines – good, big-hearted people who
look out for each
other and are willing to come together across our differences. That’s
the spirit we all must summon now not only to heal, but to honor the
service of Sergeant Beminio, Officer Martin, and all the men and women
who wear the blue.
Statement by the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden
Tonight, the sun set in Des Moines and
Urbandale with two heroes no longer here. Des Moines Sergeant Anthony Beminio
and Urbandale Officer Justin Martin started the day as they always did, pinning
the shield on their uniforms as they kissed their loved ones goodbye to patrol
the streets while the city slept. They knew the risks, but they walked out the
door because that’s who they were. Like law enforcement officers across the
country, they were defined by duty, courage, and honor. They loved their
cities. They would do anything for the people who counted on them. But as
we’ve seen too often, a coward with a gun in his hand and malice in his heart
assassinated these two heroes in cold blood. And as we’ve had to do too often,
Jill and I join the nation in mourning with their broken-hearted families and
their grieving brothers and sisters in blue.
And
yet even in our sadness, we’re still grateful for the swift actions of Des
Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert, Urbandale Police Chief Ross McCarty, and
their entire force who rushed to the scene and later quickly apprehended a
suspect. We’re inspired by the people of the Des Moines area who’ve rallied
together in unity and prayer. And we’re reminded that even in the face of evil,
we are a nation still defined by goodness, by heroes like Sergeant Beminio and
Officer Martin, by men and women in uniform across the country, who tomorrow
morning as the sun rises, will live the words of Isaiah, “Here I am. Send
me.”
May
God bless Sergeant Anthony Beminio, Officer Justin Martin, their families, and
all who loved them and may God protect our law enforcement everywhere.
Source: The White House, Offices of the Press Secretary and Vice President
