SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — State Representative Bradley Fritts (R), Dixon shared an emotional speech on the floor of the House this morning in regards to his personal connection with an injured ISP Trooper.
Fritts stated he was in close connection to Illinois State Trooper Dakotah "Kody" Chapman-Green as he is engaged to Fritts' legislative aide in Springfield.
Chapman-Green is listed in critical condition still after shots were fired during an early morning traffic stop.
To view Fritts full speech see transcribed version below:
"Ladies and gentlemen of the house. Last night at 10:47pm, Illinois State Trooper Kody Green was shot following, here in Springfield, following an incident with a suspect in a Chicago homicide. Listen, this is personal to me because Trooper Green is engaged to my legislative aide here in Springfield, Madison Kinsel. Yesterday, I spent my morning talking to Madison, about the engagement photos that they had just taken, and about the wedding planning they have. Spent my morning this morning talking with Madison as she sits with her fiance in the ICU.
"During that time, I thought about what I wanted to say here today. One thing I keep thinking about is how angry that I am. I'm angry at the needless violence against our law enforcement officers. I'm angry at people who scream to defund the police. And more than that I'm angry at this assembly is dead set on making their jobs as hard as possible without protecting them. When does it end? When does the crime wave from Chicago soft on crime, prosecutors end? When do we finally decide to back our law enforcement officers and put their lives on the line each and every day for us? We can't go on like this any longer.
"We need to start prosecuting criminals and supporting law enforcement. We need to ensure that they have proper funding, that they are fully staffed and that they know that their government unequivocally supports their efforts to make their state a safer place.
"I call on every single legislator here today to really think about the world that they want to live in. Do you want to live in a world that advocates for the rights of criminals? Or do you want to live in a world that protects those who protect us? Because I know what kind of a world I want to live in. But for some of us in this room, refuse to do anything to make the world a possibility. It's time to wake up people because someday you'll get the call that I got this morning and it may be your own loved one.
"My thoughts and prayers are with Trooper Green, the state police and most of all our dear colleague Madison. Madam Speaker, I ask that the body take a moment of silence."
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