WHEREAS, The House of Representatives has an interest in identifying and honoring extraordinary citizens in Washington state; and
     WHEREAS, Steve Cox dedicated his life to serving and protecting the public, and he was no ordinary man but, as Governor Christine Gregoire said, "the embodiment of the best in public service"; and
     WHEREAS, Cox earned his law degree and chose to use his education to protect the public as a deputy prosecutor; and
     WHEREAS, Cox came to believe that he could make a bigger difference as a police officer, and he chose to become a sheriff's deputy in White Center, a high-crime area near where he grew up; and
     WHEREAS, Every day he woke up and put on a bulletproof vest -- armor that he knew didn't make him invincible -- and put himself in the most dangerous possible situations; not to protect his family or his property, but to protect his neighbors and citizens whom he had never met before; and
     WHEREAS, Cox did make a difference in that neighborhood, forming a special bond with the citizens and children there, with people in the White Center neighborhood yelling his name as he drove by and gathering around his patrol car whenever he stepped out; and
     WHEREAS, Jack Brehan, who coached Cox in Little League baseball, said of Cox, "He was just a good kid, and he turned out to be a good man"; and
     WHEREAS, Cox died in the line of duty when he was shot by a suspect that he was interviewing about an assault case; and
     WHEREAS, Almost 2,000 mourners came to the funeral for Steve Cox, including law enforcement officers from around the Northwest, lawmakers, and Governor Gregoire; and
     WHEREAS, Steve Cox left behind a wife, Maria, a young son, Bronson, and a stepdaughter, Nicole; and
     WHEREAS, The best thing we can do to honor the memory of Steve Cox is to reach out to others in the same spirit of public service, to sacrifice ourselves to help our neighbors, to ask ourselves, "What would this good man do?" and then to do it, to fill the void, to finish the job he did every day with compassion, courage, and honor;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the life and service of Steve Cox and express our appreciation and admiration for his service and sacrifice on behalf of the people of the state of Washington.