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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, From March 2 to March 21, 2018, the city of Austin |
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was gripped by a series of seemingly random bombings, which ushered |
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in a state of fear and vigilance in the community and called forth a |
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highly coordinated multiagency response to bring the perpetrator of |
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these heinous crimes to justice; and |
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WHEREAS, The bombs, which took the lives of Anthony Stephan |
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House and Draylen Mason and injured five other people, followed no |
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apparent pattern, were delivered to targets all across the city, |
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and varied in their trigger methods, from a string of package |
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explosives to the eventual use of a tripwire; the unpredictable |
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nature of the attacks posed a complex challenge to investigators |
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with the Austin Police Department, led by then-interim police chief |
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Brian Manley; further assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau |
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of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and |
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Explosives, and hundreds of local and state police and federal |
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agents were assigned to the case as it built to its crescendo; and |
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WHEREAS, A trail of evidence uncovered by police eventually |
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led to the identification of the suspect and a standoff in the |
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nearby city of Round Rock on March 21; as SWAT team officers closed |
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in on the man, he committed suicide by detonating a final explosive |
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in his vehicle, bringing the harrowing incident to its conclusion |
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with no additional fatalities; and |
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WHEREAS, Countless individuals from a host of organizations |
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and units contributed their skills to the investigation; those |
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deserving of special recognition for their efforts include members |
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of the Austin Police Department SWAT Team who were present on the |
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scene during the fraught final moments of the manhunt: Katrina |
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Pruitt, Brannon Ellsworth, Robert Justesen, Vincent Garcia, |
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William Jackman, Pat O'Connor, Leighton Radtke, Jon Abbott, Mike |
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Ridge, Jeff Kingsley, Jared Hidalgo, and Tandy Perkins; and |
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WHEREAS, A number of bomb technicians also risked their lives |
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examining and neutralizing the numerous suspicious packages and |
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devices that were discovered over a period of weeks; they included |
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members of the Austin PD Bomb Squad, Courtney Renfro, Jeff Dwyer, |
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Jesse Carrillo, Caine Johnson, Jay McCormick, Josh Euhus, Jeff |
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Joseph, George Ewing, Rob Nunez, Kent Collins, Scott Rhoads, and |
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Troy Wiser; members of the Texas Department of Public Safety Bomb |
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Squad, Thomas Kovacs, Raymond Real, Donnie Bolton, and Andrew |
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Martinez; members of the San Antonio Bomb Squad, Jeremy Swindells, |
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Chad Culp, Jon Sarno, Matthew Armstrong, Jason Alberthal, and Jason |
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Lemcke; and members of the Houston Bomb Squad, Alton Baker, Greg |
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Smith, and Jason Countryman; and |
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WHEREAS, Tasked with ending a reign of terror that threatened |
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to claim many more lives, these men and women met the challenge |
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before them with tremendous skill and courage, and they have earned |
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the heartfelt gratitude of the citizens of Austin and the entire |
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State of Texas; now, therefore, be it |
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R |
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ESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the SWAT team and bomb squad members who |
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responded to the 2018 Austin bombings and extend to them sincere |
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best wishes for continued success with their important work. |
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Israel |
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| Bonnen of Brazoria |
Guerra |
Noble |
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| Bailes |
Hernandez |
Patterson |
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| Bell of Kaufman |
Hinojosa |
Perez |
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| Bell of Montgomery |
Holland |
Phelan |
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| Bonnen of Galveston |
E. Johnson of Dallas |
Reynolds |
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| Bowers |
J. Johnson of Dallas |
Rodriguez |
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| Buckley |
Johnson of Harris |
Romero, Jr. |
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| Burns |
King of Hemphill |
Rosenthal |
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| Burrows |
King of Parker |
Sanford |
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| Button |
King of Uvalde |
Schaefer |
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| Canales |
Kuempel |
Sherman, Sr. |
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| Capriglione |
Lambert |
Shine |
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| Davis of Dallas |
Lucio III |
Thierry |
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| Davis of Harris |
Martinez |
Thompson of Brazoria |
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| Dean |
Martinez Fischer |
Thompson of Harris |
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| Deshotel |
Metcalf |
Tinderholt |
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| Dutton |
Meza |
Turner of Dallas |
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| Farrar |
Middleton |
Turner of Tarrant |
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| Gervin-Hawkins |
Muñoz, Jr. |
Wray |
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| González of Dallas |
Murr |
Zedler |
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| González of El Paso |
Neave |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 747 was adopted by the House on March |
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19, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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