TITLE: Paying tribute to Officer Mitchell Aaron Penton of the Dallas Police Department and commemorating his posthumous receipt of the Star of Texas Award.

SUMMARY: Paying tribute to Officer Mitchell Aaron Penton of the Dallas Police Department and commemorating his posthumous receipt of the Star of Texas Award.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Officer Mitchell Aaron Penton of the Dallas Police Department is being posthumously honored with a Star of Texas Award on September 10, 2021, at a ceremony in Austin; and WHEREAS, Established by the 78th Texas Legislature in 2003, the Star of Texas Awards annually recognize first responders who have been seriously injured or killed in the line of duty; recipients are selected by three advisory committees appointed by the governor; and WHEREAS, On February 13, 2021, Officer Penton responded to a collision on the North Central Expressway; as he was securing traffic at the scene, a drunk driver hit his patrol car, which in turn struck Officer Penton; he later died of his injuries at Baylor University Medical Center; he was 27 years old; and WHEREAS, Born in Arlington on March 29, 1993, Mitchell Penton was the son of Timothy and Kathy Penton, and he grew up with two siblings, Garrett and Sydney; he earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Rogers State University in 2015 and graduated from the police academy in 2019 before beginning his service with the Northeast Patrol Division; devoted to his loved ones, he married Noel Bergenske Penton in October 2020; the couple were raising a son, Cashton, and were expecting another child at the time of Officer Penton's death; and WHEREAS, Texans owe an immense debt of gratitude to the men and women of the law enforcement profession who willingly place themselves in harm's way to protect and serve the public, and the presentation of a Star of Texas Award in memory of Officer Penton ensures that his dedication and sacrifice will not be forgotten; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of Officer Mitchell Aaron Penton and commemorate his posthumous receipt of a Star of Texas Award; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Officer Penton. Crockett Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 176 was adopted by the House on September 2, 2021, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House