-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. HUSTED. Mr. President, every day the men and women of law enforcement leave home not knowing what they will encounter. They live life with the uncertainty of what the next hazard is that they might encounter during the call that they receive to go protect and serve. Sergeant Scott Ries was shot and killed responding to one of those calls, and today I rise to honor one of Ohio's bravest sons, Sergeant Ries. We lost him on July 5, 2026, just a couple weeks ago.

Sergeant Ries served and protected his community until the very last moment when he was on one of those calls and was shot and killed and lost his life, and we all mourn his loss. Today, I want to take a few moments to honor his life, his service, and his legacy.

Sergeant Ries was 54 years old and a native of Doylestown. He was a 10-year veteran of the Rittman Police Department.

Before joining the Rittman Police Department, he served as a deputy with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and as an officer with the Sugar Grove Police Department. You can see Sergeant Ries right there.

His colleagues remember him as someone who wanted people to know that when they called for his help, he would be there for them. And he was a person to respond with kindness and a community spirit.

Sergeant Ries was a devoted husband and father. I had a chance a few days ago to speak with his wonderful wife Michelle. He is remembered as someone who was deeply involved in his family's life, especially supporting his daughter's cheerleading activities.

Each year, in fact, Sergeant Ries and his wife Michelle volunteered their time raising money in a fundraiser for the cheerleaders. They would organize the dunk tank. Anybody that grew up in a small town knows what the dunk tank is. Pay a few dollars to throw a ball and dunk the police sergeant, and that is what Scott would do.

They helped support the cheerleading program, but it was one of the many things that he would do to help give back to his community and support life in a small town--a small, rural town in Ohio.

Sergeant Ries was also an alumnus of the Chippewa Local Schools and remained actively involved with the school long after graduation. A police sergeant in a small town, Chippewa Schools, is an important local leader, an important example, a mentor, someone to look up to, and that is who Scott Ries was. He certainly was that kind of figure in his local community.

Sergeant Ries was a dedicated public servant who put his life on the line every day and made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his community in responding to a violent call. But there is no way he could know it would have been his last because he responded as a dedicated public servant in law enforcement every single time he got the call.

His wife and children and loved ones and fellow officers remain in our prayers. I know how hard it is for them, having talked to several of them during the course of the last few weeks. They loved Scott, and it was hard for them, as you would expect, to confront his tragic loss. And we will mourn him. We will mourn his loss, honor his life that was defined by community, sacrifice, service, and courage.

So Sergeant Scott Ries gave his life protecting his community and his neighbors. I thank my colleagues for giving me a few moments to hear his story and to join me in honoring his service and celebrating his life.

So many times, so many days, these public servants, these law enforcement officials, are asked to show courage and give to their communities, and they do it humbly, as Scott Ries did for so many years. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to confront the tragedy of them losing their lives in service to their communities. We do that in honoring the life and service of Scott Ries.

I want to say to his wife Michelle and to his children and his colleagues in law enforcement that we will keep you in our prayers, we mourn his loss, and we honor his service.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source