Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
07/24/2008
Pelosi Statement on 10th Anniversary of Capitol Police Shootings
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi today joined other Congressional leaders in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Capitol police shootings of Officer Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson. Below are her remarks as prepared:
“We are honored today by the presence of Wen-Ling Chestnut, Lyn Gibson, and their families.
“We welcome them back to a place where their loved ones—Jacob Joseph Chestnut and John Michael Gibson—were loved, respected and appreciated by all who served in the Capitol.
“The New Testament tells us that, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
“Officer Jacob Joseph Chestnut and Detective John Michael Gibson were both our friends and our protectors.
“On July 24, 1998, when danger came to the Capitol, they put themselves between us and that danger.
“As I enter the Capitol through the Memorial Doors each morning to perform my duties as Speaker of the House, I pass by the plaque bearing their names and their images only steps from where they were taken from us.
“That plaque and their sacrifice remind us every day of our obligation to our country and to the people we serve.
“There is no greater love than the service that Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson gave to our nation and to those privileged to serve within the United States Capitol.
“As the tree we plant today grows and thrives, it will serve as a living tribute to their memory.
“May God bless Jacob Joseph Chestnut, John Michael Gibson, and their families and friends who continue to mourn their loss.”