South Carolina General Assembly

119th Session, 2011-2012

H. 5318

STATUS INFORMATION

Concurrent Resolution

Sponsors: Reps. Hosey, Clyburn, G.A.Brown, Agnew, Alexander, Allen, Allison, Anderson, Anthony, Atwater, Bales, Ballentine, Bannister, Barfield, Battle, Bedingfield, Bikas, Bingham, Bowen, Bowers, Brady, Branham, Brannon, Brantley, H.B.Brown, R.L.Brown, Butler Garrick, Chumley, Clemmons, CobbHunter, Cole, Corbin, Crawford, Crosby, Daning, Delleney, Dillard, Edge, Erickson, Forrester, Frye, Funderburk, Gambrell, Gilliard, Govan, Hamilton, Hardwick, Harrell, Harrison, Hart, Hayes, Hearn, Henderson, Herbkersman, Hiott, Hixon, Hodges, Horne, Howard, Huggins, Jefferson, Johnson, King, Knight, Limehouse, Loftis, Long, Lowe, Lucas, Mack, McCoy, McEachern, McLeod, Merrill, D.C.Moss, V.S.Moss, Munnerlyn, Murphy, Nanney, J.H.Neal, J.M.Neal, Neilson, Norman, Ott, Owens, Parker, Parks, Patrick, Pinson, Pitts, Pope, Putnam, Quinn, Rutherford, Ryan, Sabb, Sandifer, Sellers, Simrill, Skelton, G.M.Smith, G.R.Smith, J.E.Smith, J.R.Smith, Sottile, Southard, Spires, Stavrinakis, Stringer, Tallon, Taylor, Thayer, Toole, Tribble, Vick, Weeks, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Williams, Willis and Young

Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\25131dg12.docx

Introduced in the House on May 23, 2012

Introduced in the Senate on May 23, 2012

Adopted by the General Assembly on May 23, 2012

Summary: Corporal Joseph Eric Patsourakos

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

DateBodyAction Description with journal page number

5/23/2012HouseIntroduced, adopted, sent to Senate (House Journalpage20)

5/23/2012SenateIntroduced, adopted, returned with concurrence (Senate Journalpage6)

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

5/23/2012

ACONCURRENT RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR CORPORAL JOSEPH ERIC PATSOURAKOS FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TO COMMEND HIM FOR HIS ACTS OF VALOR FOR WHICH HE WAS THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CROSS OF EXCEPTIONAL HEROISM.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly are grateful to learn that Corporal Joseph Eric “Joey” Patsourakos of the Williston Police Department received the Law Enforcement Cross of Exceptional Heroism from the American First Responder Institute of Heraldry; and

Whereas, born in Aiken on June 7, 1969, Joey Patsourakos graduated from Aiken High School in 1987 and became a certified firefighter at age seventeen and certified EMT at age eighteen; and

Whereas, he studied criminal justice at the University of North CarolinaCharlotte and began his career in law enforcement with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Department at age twenty; and

Whereas, from 1991 to 1997, he served with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety; from 1997 to 2000, as the chief of the Ehrhardt Police Department; and from 2000 to 2005, as the assistant chief of the Denmark Department of Public Safety; and

Whereas, Corporal Patsourakos has served the Williston Police Department as a narcotic investigator/training officer since 2005; and

Whereas, in 2011, while teaching a concealedweapons class in Colleton County, word came on his police radio that an armed felon who had escaped police custody three days priorby overpowering a Georgia deputy and taking his guns and patrol car had been sighted near his location; and

Whereas, trusting his instincts and law enforcement training, he rushed in his big pickup to a remote point in the county where he thought he could intersect with the felon, placed a flashing blue light atop the truck, put on his tactical vest, grabbed his M4 semiautomatic rifle, and waited; and

Whereas, within seconds of his arrival, the vehicle described on the radio appeared andhalted;when the driver’s door opened, Corporal Patsourakos kept his rifle and laser trained on the vehicle until the felon threw himself on the ground in surrender; and

Whereas, for his remarkable act of valor in apprehending this felon, Corporal Patsourakos was awarded the first Law Enforcement Cross of Exceptional Heroism by the American First Responder Institute of Heraldry; and

Whereas, a volunteer instructor with the American Red Cross since 1992, he is the proud father of four fine sons: Dillon, Dalton, Jacob and Joel; the loving husband of the former Tina Creed; and a faithful member of Town Creek Baptist Church in Aiken; and

Whereas, his numerous awards include the Medal of Valor in 1992, four Police Commendation awards, the 2001 Volunteer of the Year for the American Red Cross, the Life Saving Award in 2003, and the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement (ACE) Award in 2009 from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety; and

Whereas, the members of the General Assembly are grateful for the uncommon commitment to the safety of our citizens exhibited by Corporal Joey Patsourakos and express their appreciation on behalf of all in our State who enjoy the benefits afforded by the dedicated men and women of law enforcement. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize and honor Corporal Joseph Eric Patsourakos for over twenty years of outstanding service in law enforcement and commend him for his acts of valor for which he was the first recipient of the Law Enforcement Cross of Exceptional Heroism.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Corporal Joseph Eric Patsourakos.

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