Video Transcript

Hello, I’m Ray Duda, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. During National Police Week, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the roles police officers play, not only as partners to us here at the FBI, but to all of us as Washingtonians and American citizens.

Each day, these dedicated men and women put themselves in harm’s way when that call comes, in order to keep us safe. They often accept great personal risk to serve their communities. Here at the FBI, police officers work side-by-side with our special  agents on criminal and national security investigations to help us perform our mission.  We couldn’t do our jobs without these partnerships.

I’d especially like to acknowledge the four police officers in Washington State who lost their lives in furtherance of their duties within the past year: Chief Mike Knapp of the Lynden Police Department, Deputy Cooper Dyson of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Trooper Justin Schaffer of the Washington State Patrol, and most recently Officer Kurt Enget of the Bainbridge Island Police Department

We are deeply grateful to their families and departments. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten.

To all the men and women of the police departments around Washington State, I thank you and your families for your consistent sacrifice, now more than ever, to protect our communities.