Congress recalled that it was 10 years ago this week, on July 24, 1998, that U.S. Capitol Police Detective John Michael Gibson and Pfc. Jacob Joseph Chestnut were gunned down in the line of duty.
Indeed, for their sacrifices they became the first police officers to lie in honor in the rotunda of the Capitol. In fact, Pfc. Chestnut was the first African-American to lie in the rotunda.
It was noted in a resolution passed this week that the Capitol Police "are on the front lines of the war on terrorism and remain on constant alert against unauthorized access to Capitol buildings, terrorism, and other threats to the Capitol Complex."